Nocturne

Hark! Still thy words!
They taint this beautiful stillness,
This peace, this tranquility, this bliss,
Why shatter it thus?
Why mar this image with human vainglory,
That enslaves, but never completes!

The ebony night, those sparkling stars,
Why bother them with such trivialities!
Why tread the velveteen grass 'neath fretful feet,
When the nightingale sings its melodies?
This moment, this perfect joyous moment,
Why not just let it be?


'Tis gone though, long gone, a fleeting memory,
Like a single downy feather floating in the breeze,
I beg, I cry, I implore it to come back,
But the jealous shades surround it, shield it from my grasp!
I fight, I thrash, I beat bite and scream,
But gone is that instant, forgotten is my dream.

All that is left now is this haunting melody,
That sings of quiescence, but'd never let it be...