The Cyprus Door

Death's door made of cyprus.
A cold unevenly colored wood,
Debarked and full of knots.

A door knob on the side nearest to you,
But no return knob to be receiving a twist.

Seeping wind etching through the cracks,
A fullness and a chill to thy bones and a shiver.
Cold merciless finger prodding at thy throat,
Choking and a gag, and one fell death so soon,
Cyprus door crowned with mahogany.
With a skull fixed plainly in the sight of all, even the blind.

A whisper that echoes through time and touches your lips.

Cracked window and a bodily slam breaking apart the grand.
Their eyes a cold melancholy of olden times.
Knowing what is to come, and the door creaking open,
The handle twisting by unseen fingers and a press on your shoulder,
A shove forced by the wind,
And you hold your ground fast,
A smile creeps across the door in wooden lips,
Teeth grating open and snapping,

"Touch the handle and it will be,
Touch the handle and you will see,
Touch the frame and you shall be,
Forever in a perfect distant roaming sea,
Just touch my frame and you will be free,
Say adieu, and let your mind be free.
Just say the words, 'Let me die.'
And let thou noblest spirit take to sky.
Just touch thy golden handle,
Taste it,
Feel it."

Your bones grow cold,
Your shoes filled with fine golden piss,
And you stare at ignoble death,
'Let thy spirit oh yonder and distance dream,
Let fingers grip and break thy golden handle.'

Fingers wrap round furnished golden ember,
And a fire fills your bones,
But just as a short flame is whisked away by a brief but immediate wind.
So does thy grip upon golden handle, and you sink into deep and discolored ash and you do cease from all time.

The remembrance of greatest feats no more but cold ancient things torn apart by the anger and disappointment of your embodiment into darkened ancient tomes.

A season's reapings, a harvest of ones noble soul,
So let thy bitter anguish fade through all time,
For what point is there in this distant life,
If one cannot open but one single door,
The cyprus door of ancient death.

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Aaron D. 11/13 (no edits)