Periphery

I

As I listen to the night
In silence, in calm
Worries of the day pass away
Lights fade as I slip into shade
On the edge of my mind

Softly take my hand
Freedom is on our lips
Dancing in the moonlight
Amongst the embers

Rainbows glitter in the day
What gentle light waves
Exist in nighttime gloom
To cascade in gentle rays
Up to the crescent moon

Fireflies and feathery moths
Colors darkened within muted tones
In the still, what a thrill
To close your eyes
To slip away
To take the final boat ride
To that final place

A final breath; a final thought
Hovering above me now
Takes its last long journey
Releasing into the air
On the periphery
Branching out, then rejoining there

II

On the edge
My mind
Periphery
Not just a state or time

I don't know you
Even though you stare back
In my mirror
You appear there
But you are not my face

I don't recognize you
Not a single trace
My life is gone now
I only feel an empty place
A bitter aftertaste

I'm sinking
Sometimes slowly
Other times quicker than sand
Into my dreams
In a far off land

I can't feel myself
I don't see you
I can't even talk without mumbling
Incoherent
Thoughts askew

III

Who will I be
When life ends
No longer human
Suddenly a cherished
Or a departed friend

Who will I become
When thoughts are all to remain
Firing neurons stop
The heart ceasing to pump

Can a thought carry on forever
Outside the mind
Printed on a page; written online

IV

So my soul should finally leave
Like a butterfly dancing in a tree
Exiting its cocoon
To fly floating into the wind
Beautiful; free again

Then will there be light or will all be dark
The current world replaced
To what end or what waste
Will that eternal periphery of life embrace