Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Keeper



The Keeper


I look outward, unto the world,
And sea
Nothing.

A vast swaying desert of haze gray

I live within this old lighthouse
I am its caretaker
I am its consciousness

I used to think this journey was my own

Now I see, this is about her
This is her story

She is the seeker
And I am the one she seeks

I’ve stood alone on this rock
Inside this lighthouse longer than I care to remember

Each day I awaken to the sunrise
And the calls of seagulls perched atop the cupola
No matter how tired or how weary
I move this body to purpose

I clean the outer walls and scrub away bird droppings
The tide and current provide me with food

I try to remain strong and hopeful
But it has been so long
I fear she may never come

I make sure the beacon’s light never dims
Water levels rise but the foundation remains strong
But how long can it last?

Night falls
And the ocean’s roar is mightier
Underneath the pale moonlight

At our darkest hour… we see clearest

In the distance, could it be? 
Something rides atop the waves
Could it be her?

No

It’s just driftwood
They approach us often
Lost, broken, and looking for the rest of themselves
I light the way for them as best I can
And send them off

They are not her

The storm and rain threatens the signal
I’ve sacrificed it all to keep this lighthouse
To make sure the light shines for her
Hoping and begging for her to see it
Wherever she may be

What makes her so special?
This is for her to discover

Her journey requires it

She must do this in order to break the fog of conformity
She must find her true strength within, never without

Meanwhile…

I walk the corridors
Up the winding staircase
My lantern in hand
Tired yet restless
A chance to stretch my weary legs

I’m running out of time
And yet I am ageless

Alone at sea
Loveless
Yet nothing frightens me more
Than the thought of fading alone

We’re all fading
The beacon, my constant companion
There are days when I just want to sleep
But it reminds me to keep on the lookout for her
This tower, though brutally ravaged by the sea
And mother nature’s wraith
It remains unbroken
An example of strength and fortitude

I lay myself to sleep at night with this in mind
Dreams of her love and our bliss
There is no eternity worth envisioning without her in it

She is my reason
One that shall never fade.

-Nevada J. Wolf
7/9/2011



This one is a part of a set of poems to be included in a chapbook I've been piecing together.  It's full of metaphors... almost nothing is to be taken literally... not even the title. 

I almost never use punctuation... feels restrictive.  I love ellipsis... I use them often instead of commas.

I used the lighthouse keeper as the speaker in this one to give a deeper sense of isolation and loneliness.