Promises I Cling To

graveyard stones

and wilted flowers

old crossbones

near death encounters

hazy moon

and cawing crows

the spirits move

where fear's exposed

six feet deep

with room to spare

emotions breathe

like moving air

glowing eyes

and mounds of soil

eternal prize

taking control

a prayer spoken

to seal the deal

a heart broken

to make it real

surrendered to the cold, dark earth

where memory will find rebirth

familiar smiles will fade away

while flesh is buried in the grave

another passing we must make

to gain entry to that crystal lake

the youth must die

and take its place

an adult arises

lines mark his face

it's proof of life

a passageway

both joy and strife

will mark the way

until we too

are laid to rest

they'll come to view

in their sunday best

and so the circle is complete

we'll be renewed from head to feet

wearing a crown and angel wing

where time and pain don't mean a thing

to meet again on streets of gold

the ending of our tale foretold