The Prospect's Ring Poem by Nathaniel Graves

He looked up to the dull black sky,
To notice a strange sight.
'Ground breaking, ' What one may convey.
A ring astray, 'So bright! '

Below, the ring shadowed them all,
A dark and horrid fate.
They condemn ancient years,
Dying a hastily rate.

The church bells rang so heavily.
Everyone gathered by
To what appears to them as hope,
He disappeared, but why?

Enraged, and full of aggression,
Our protagonist sighs,
'Why must I agree to consent! ? '
Walking a path of lies.

An unfamiliar Man, He finds,
They all call the Man 'Wise.'
With one breath the Wise Man told He,
Words that sought to advise.

Stubborn, He denied the Man's will.
Ignoring and confused,
He stood there as the Wise Man spoke,
'Refrain! ' The Wise Man mused.

Again, He refused to listen.
He left, desperate and dry.
An alter, He began to near,
The gateway to the sky.

Once upon the alter, He grew,
Pride and purpose aroused.
A white light covered his structure,
Light devoured him; doused.

The Man grew closer with concern,
'They feed you lies and wrongs! '
The Man expressed to make certain,
'Your youth is what they long! '

One last call, the Wise man heeded,
Giving He one last chance.
'Repent! And ye shall not regret! '
He ignored, with a glance.

Floating up above the alter,
The light pulled He sky high!
With the ring's distance growing closer,
He thought, 'Am I alive? .'

His destination seemed so clear.
Instantly He went through.
The ring turned like an hour glass,
Out, he came to a new.

Suddenly it came clear to him,
the sky cried black to blue.
His body aged quite hastily,
He pondered, 'They used to.'

As he hung in the sky so high,
his body died and died.
The people below cheered with youth,
Their old no longer bide.

'The Man spoke truth among his words, '
He thought as He gave way.
Sacrifice replenished them all,
Lies rid their old away.

-10/18/09-