Song of Sorrows Past

Wick

I remember little,
On my darkest night,
Of the waking world,
The world of light.
A sudden flash, screeching tires.
I'm upside down, I smell the fire.
I hear her crying, but I sleep.
My mind is blank, I do not feel.
I barely hear, "We can't lose him here!"
Again, I see the blackness.
All I can tell is I feel nothing.
Not a sound, my ears do not ring.
Not a sight, is this my final rest?
But I can sense the void.
And sense a presence.
A deep sonorous voice
Breaks the silence,
"You seem quite lost;
Allow me to light the way."
A hundred candles flicker to life.
I feel a warmth, a feeling rife
With joy and content.
I whirl around, I see a thing
That is draped in cloth
Of rolling flame.
I ask in confusion,
"Who are you? What is your name?"
It's single gleaming eye shines
As he quaintly replies,
"Call me Wick, if that meets your fancy. Now would you grant me the time to take you on a tour?"
He bows his fiery head.
His hand crackles
With a sweep of his arm.
I feel uneasy, I voice my concerns,
"I have no 'why', but I do have a 'what'. You are awful strange and have not my trust!"
Wick merely sighed,
And sternly fussed,
"'Tis a shame.
The greatest by far.
What have I done to mar
Your faith in my name?"
I turned away,
To the black, the pitch.
The urge consumed me,
To run, to ditch
This man of living fire.
I sensed an intent so dire.
Deep within the folds
Of his burning soul.
And so I sprinted.
Ever farther away.
He easily gained
Ground and surpassed me.
He blocked my path, and fear
Chilled my bones.
Wick solemnly groaned,
"Why would you deny
A gift so pure? I do not lie
To you. I only wish to guide
A poor...lost...soul!"
He punctuated the phrase
With a searing blaze.
I was staggered by the heat.
I couldn't best, couldn't beat
This monstrous abberation.
He calmed and marked his path
With the creation of flame.
More candles were lit, he said,
"Here, my good sir, is the way."
He gestured with an open hand
To a trail of wax,
Stretching off into the black.
Then I remembered a simple phrase,
Don't walk into the light!
And thus I made my flight
Into the darkness,
Away from the blaze.
I could feel Wick's gaze
Burn into my spine.
I found my escape.
The choice was mine.
I found my fate.
But, then I fell
I felt the wind rush past my face.
A thousand days
Seemed to pass
As, ever downwards, I raced.
Soon I no longer felt the air.
I felt only fear.
Then, a man shouted "Clear!"
................
I was awake, I could see my wife.
I could see the tears
That streamed down her face.
She said, "Thank god you're okay!"