Omens (it's my first thread on here)

[FONT=&quot]Well, I've written poetry in my free time for a few years now, and I chanced upon this forum a few weeks ago. I figured I'd give it a shot and post one of my poems to see what people other than my friends think about it. I know the syllable count fluctuates like crazy, but I just ended up writing it that way haha. I hope somebody enjoys it![/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]Omens
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Son watch my magic finger,"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]He said to me as I left the room.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]His moonshot eyes seared me through[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]his voice, it trembled with doom.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"I cannot tell you how important this is;[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]my old task now in your hands.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The state of grace, now in disrepair[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]spreads all across these lands,"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I nodded because I understood,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]however later I would come to know[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]that the moon light upon his eyes[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and the flight of the omen-crow[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]went palm to palm, wrist to wrist[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]in matters of clemency[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and no matter how he struggled[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I could not prepare myself for this blasphemy.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]So his stare caught my eyes[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and he finished his warning.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"Don't trust a soul...[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and be off by the morning."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]His wild breath fell silent[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and the moon-glow went dim.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The cloak he wore shouted as he departed[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and I knew my sleep would be slim.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I did not dream.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The next day upon the morn'[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I awoke from my narrow slumber[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]with a new mind and a new goal.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Towards the horizon did I lumber[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and in the fire rising from the sun[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]my eyes did play a trick.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]For I could have sworn in that dawn[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I spied a raven's chick.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]This vision accelerated on by[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]leaving me dazed in a waking pile.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]My mind was weak, but my will strong.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I recovered after a short while,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]slung the gunna-sack over my shoulder[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and mounted my dying steed.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]My actions had to happen soon[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]if I were to stop the demon's seed.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The days that followed were countless and long[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]leaving my skin dry and broken.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]My hair sunbleached from brown to blond.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I was helpless lest my heart's token.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The desert, it seemed to unroll in curtains[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]of buffeting sands and ceaseless sun.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Eventually my horse died, starved and thirsty[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]leaving my journey to be made on the run.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]So I ran.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The running did ache my body at first.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I soon came to feel nothing at all.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]My vision suffered from the sandblasts.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]It was natural that I would fall[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and I did one day in a sinkhole (in the dune)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]the black and the wet stone shocked my skin.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The change broke gooseflesh on my neck.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I drank the water as men drink sin.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]This cavern that now consumed my vision[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]held a behemoth quality of existence.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]It was ancient beyond all years measurable[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and it was here that I gained sustenance.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The purified spring waters[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and the flesh of the winged rat[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]drove away the delusions[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]which had lain underneath my hat.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Many days later,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]with my refreshed state of mind[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I ventured much further into the dark[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]to see what curiosity could find.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In the far reaches of the cave[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]there stood a great waterfall[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]who's mighty roar resembled[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]the sound of a lion's call.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I was awed.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The pure power above my head[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]dwarfed any ambitions I had held.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]For a moment I was discouraged, however,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]my belly burned with the fires of hell.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"This journey of mine is the greatest of all![/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Nothing can keep me from reaching my goal."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]So I burrowed from that cave after many days[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]like a vermin, like a mole.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Upon reaching the surface I soon realized[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]just how far that cavern had sprawled.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The land was now lush and it was clear[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]underneath the mountains I'd crawled.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In the distance, with no obstacles to block[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I set my gaze upon the citadel.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A horrible cloud of death and decay[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]sprouted from its point like a well.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]That was my destination, the end,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and I had never seen it for true.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]My ancestors had placed upon me this duty;[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]they had taught me exactly what to do.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]However, despite my knowledge[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]the fear caught hold of my throat;[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]draped itself around my conscience[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]like a wicked overcoat.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The end.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]With my new style covering my purpose,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]my every move became less precise.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I continued on the last stretch, but[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]every move was a roll of the dice.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The fog in the sky brought an image to me[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]of another omen first spied on this trail.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The raven hatchling flying in the dawn,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]the symbol of fire-wrought hell.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]My quest was doomed[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I knew this from the start.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]This did not prevent me[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]from my untimely depart.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The world was in ruin[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and I was the last capable one.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I had to at least try[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]for the sake of the sun.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]So I went to the door[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]of the evil spawn's palace[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]after marching once more[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and a last drink from my chalice.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]This was the end.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Every part of me knew.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I could not stop,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and neither should you.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]because trying to stand strong[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]in the face of an unstoppable force[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]only makes the collision that much more painful.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The omens depicted nothing but failure[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and there were no rewards for me;[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]and they were correct of course[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]but it never hurts to see.[/FONT]