The Bridge of Souls

The 7 Plains of Hell

The Bridge of Souls

Darkness prevails like a cave engulfing the space around you

Beneath your chilled feet is a bridge

A space that’s bizarre and unfamiliar

Lightning splinters overhead

Thunder cracking and shaking you to the bone

You cringe with each step as you shuffle backwards in this black abyss

Sharp creases and edges stick into the pads of your feet.

What little light there is breaks across prisms of light

Rainbows shimmer even in the darkness.

Is it glass?

Is it stone?

It’s calm, wherever this place may be.

It feels like home…

Or maybe like a touch of madness wrapped in a nightmare.

Sometimes the darkness can be as embracing as the light.

You sit down against the slick surface,

Running you fingers over its admiration.

A stone, a piece of jewelry, that’s what this glassy bridge reminds you of.

A smoky topaz.

Dark, majestic, and shifting with sheens of the rainbow.

It’s cold in this place, dark, almost morbid.

But beneath that there is power, strength, and remnants of memories.

Long since passed are the days of her childhood.

Her golden locks, slightly curled, could have upheld a crown.

Her bright shimmering green, emerald eyes enthrall all those who encounter her.

And instantly all those who have felt her presence have learned to bow down at her feet.

The in-between is her kingdom, her thrown.

In purgatory, deep in the darkness, there’s a bridge

Oddly thin and beautiful like glass, but sturdy as a tree.

~This idea of a bridge of souls; this space in purgatory, that dark, damp, and cold comes from my book The 7 Plains of Hell, which can be purchased off Amazon. I know the challenge asked for something uplifting, and maybe I’ll make another poem, more cheerful and bright. But I wanted to share the idea of the Bridge with you all. Wishing you well.