Drops of Rain in a Clouded Mind

The Phoenix

You awaken among the ruins
Of a broken and deserted land
Lying underneath a pile of rubble
All alone and not feeling too grand

You struggle to sit up then look around
Shading your eyes from the sun's rays
Everything you see lays shattered into ash
This place has clearly seen better days

This ruined place brings you despair
All chances you see for hope are gone
You fall back, exhausted and defeated
Staring at the sky with no help to call on

Your eyes close as you accept your fate
Thinking only of your own demise
You lie still, weak, and hopeless
Wishing someone could hear your cries

Purely longing for life, you cry out
"I don't want my end to be here!
I don't want to cease to exist!"
You just wish a loved one could be near

You're rendered silent afterward
As you're sure no one can hear you
You have completely given up
But then your hope is made new

"Arise, young one! Up on your feet."
A voice calls to you from beyond
"Aren't you aware? It's not over yet.
These ashes are not where you belong."

You respond by groggily standing
Not concerned of the voice's source
Your strength slowly returns to you
As if compelled by a higher force

As you rise flames are raised around you
You're quickly surrounded by the fire
It covers your body from head to toe
Though you don't find yourself on the pyre

The voice laughs a bit and speaks again
"You are engulfed in those flames, are you not?
Yet they are not burning you up.
Well, it's only natural for a burning soul like your own."

The wind kicks up and whirls around you
Carrying the flames with it
You just stare, completely awestruck
But you know you haven't lost your wit

Some flames gather up behind you
They sink into your shoulder blades
Merging with your skin, muscle, and bone
Inside of you the fire invades

The fire creates new parts of you
As it stretches out behind your back
You stagger a little but stay standing
With an unfamiliar weight you used to lack

You look over your shoulder
To see what was happening
And you smile with great delight
As you find you have bright flaming wings

From your throat comes a joyous outcry
As you move your wings around
And flap them a little bit
No longer wanting to be bound to the ground

The voice notices your eagerness
And prepares you for flight
"Spread your wings as far as you can.
Now slowly raise and lower them until it feels right."

You follow the instructions given
And progressively go faster
Though you are very determined
You know this will be difficult to master

You finally start to rise off the ground
Now hovering in the air
You still rise even higher
And realize your new freedom to go anywhere

The voice returns with a triumphant tone
"That's good! Keep going higher, you can do it!
You will be ready to fly soon enough,
When you can control the fire you now emit."

The fire within your heart and soul
Meets the flames from outside
Those fires merge together
And burn you from the inside

Though you are burning you do not feel pain
Your body begins to melt into the fire
You become the manifestation of your flaming soul
And you burn bright as you rise even higher

The voice returns and seems very happy with you
"Now, young one, spread your wings and fly!
You are no longer a creature of the ground!
Go, soar high into the sky!"

With that, you flap your wings faster
As you rise higher into the sky
Joy fills your heart and brightens your flames
You feel so free, for who hasn't dreamed to fly?

"Be free, young one! Soar to your heart's content!
Fly high, let your worries grow cold.
Let the wind carry them far away.
Never again be discouraged, be bold."