A poetry group on Facebook put up a photo of a narrow, twisting staircase up a steep hill with lots of craggy trees and asked us to write poems about it. Here is my entry:

Jacob's Staircase

by Timothy Birdnow

Echoes of footsteps of souls seeking peace
up the eternal staircase go the newly released
The woods dark and lonely, the climb hard and steep
gnarly sentinels guard over souls that are reaped

What lies above, no one can say
Is it bright morning light or dreary gray day?
no choice do we have we must finish the climb
for the hour is late and we near the last chime

Where shall we go? Is it Heaven or Hell
do we rise like the Phoenix or descend down the well?
No-one knows, they just climb right along
Hoping for Heaven but fearing they're wrong

Pearly gates don't await but an arch made of boughs
are their guards waiting there with the fiery bows?
as they climb up the ladder to the sound of the crows
on the dark narrow staricase full of doubts and of woes

Climb foolish man, climb to your fate
the race you have ran and the hour is late
you could always escape you could always just flee
But now on the staircase all that's left is a plea

You have to go up, you have to go in
Will you drink from the cup or be judged for your sin?

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 08:16 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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