“FROM THE ASHES” by Thomas McClellan
January 30, 2014

A life so bright, yet so young,

Holding to a promising future,

Did dedicate itself to those him among.

Day after day, this one did serve,

Those around nearby, and those willing,

But also those hiding on the edge of existence,

Way out along the edge of darkness,

Ready to jump.

Not a one was overlooked,

Or was made small, insignificant,

After all,

What is the worth of a soul?

More than money or influence can buy,

A thing intangible,

Unable to be swayed, truly saved by the finite,

But by this life's efforts,

This one so young,

And by the cause which he served.

Day after day,

Night after night,

And year following year,

This one did sacrifice for what he believed in.

Many he did bring to the light,

Pulling them from the reaching, wanting shadows,

Providing an escape,

Lending a hand,

Serving where needed, how needed,

Befriending and spreading love.

This one did travel far and wide,

Across an ocean, to the islands of the sea,

So that all might hear,

Or have the opportunity to, should they choose.

None should stay in the dark, never knowing the light,

This one worked that none should be alone in the blackness,

As the years passed by,

One, two,

Home welcomed back.

And so returning, ready to rest,

Contemplating the fruits of his labors,

Darkness struck the one who first knew light,

Terrible pain,

Unknowing, agony,

Forgetting the past,

The names of his friends,

Family, even,

Past memories broken to pieces,

Fragmented, smeared, erased.

Thinking, seeing, learning,

All became impossible,

Struggling in the choking fumes,

The aftermath of the destruction,

This one did ponder his fate.

Chance?  Retribution?  Whim? 

For had not he done well, helped his fellow man?

Over and over, this one did think,

Crippled, incapacitated,

But never succumbing, submitting,

Education, life, success,

None were able to be procured,

Not for the time being.

Unfailing, undaunted,

This one sought refuge in reclusion,

For a time, he did hibernate, sleep,

Withdraw into a shell,

Recuperating, relearning, regenerating,

He thought and searched, ambling.

What had been the reason for this stumbling?

On a blessed day, this one found,

The search had ended.

Reason, purpose,

Explanation.

Should there not have been a wall in his path,

He never would have turned back,

Never found the love he had passed by,

He had missed something critical, beautiful,

Had there been no wound, he would have continued forward, uninhibited,

Alone, unfulfilled, and unhappy.

Finding the passage blocked, he turned around, looked back,

What had been lost, now was found.

He was grateful for the pain, the trial he had faced,

Had it not come his way, he would have overlooked forever,

Without the bitter, he could not have known the sweet.

Taking his love, and holding tight,

He began the climb,

Back to the top,

Back to his future.

Strengthened by the magical girl,

He had found the princess of his fairy tale,

With her in hand, his answer was given,

All that was left was to return to what was to come.

Together with his love, he prepared,

To confront the wall barring success,

He broke it down, turned it to dust.

Stepping over the rubble, he brought his newfound purpose along,

On the other side,

He looked to the expanse,

Opportunity abounded, and promise danced before his eyes,

The eyes now able to see again.

Light had been squelched by the darkness, blinding, enfeebling,

Battling the shadows, the black gave way,

There was a light at the end of the tunnel,

He only needed to walk toward it.

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