In Death (Challenge Poem)

My breath is visible in the cold winter air, My cries for help echoing troughtout the dark woods, And I continue running from what is always behind me. I try to quicken my pace in hope that maybe I will reach the end of this forest, And that I can soon find help in defeating what is chasing me, But it will not be that way... Instead I reach the edge of everything, And before me lies a giant cliff, Around it- nothing... Nowhere to run... Nowhere left to hide. From behind me the forest closes in, And I realize I am stranded on the edge of this cliff, And my only choice besides facing what will soon find me, Is to jump off the cliff in to oblivion. My breath quickens and even thought I am not running anymore, I am more tired than I was before. "Should I do it? What will happen? Where will it lead? Is there anything after death at all?" The voices keep echoing in my head, Egging me to continue my run and jump off to my death, And I listen as I always have. As I fall I look up and there is nothing there at all, And I now realize what I have died for. I have died because all my life I have been running from my fears, And all my life they have been right behind me. It seems only now, Falling to an inevitable death, Am I free from fear... Free from pain and sorrow. It seems only now am I safe... And I am. For one moment in my life I am truely happy, And that moment is in death.This if for the challenge submitted by HermitX Written January 4th, 2002 © on Jan 04 2002 01:44 PM PST   18 • 0 • 1