Break Down Into Dust

Poem

Hey, I am quite new to posting on reddit, and am an amateur poet, so please be gentle with the comments. Constructive criticism is always welcome. This was written in a flow, so it might not be the best, but I hope you enjoy.

Embers of burnt firewood drift away 

Smoke fills the tiny cabin, in wintry dark

On the stormy wind’s grace, the trees sway

Leaves scattered, begging trunks stand stark

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Each breath leaves mark of fog, chill in air

Frail-bodied man, starved to the bone

He smokes cigar, dreaming of days fair

In the woods, unbroken, he lives alone

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Wolves howl at the stars and moon

Fur, white, pure as the stars that shine

He gazes across the snowy dune

Counts his days, thoughts pass his time

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He wonders upon the old days often

When white hair was windswept black

Muscles broke down, passage of men

Strength to rise, was now the lack

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Lost was charm in shining smile

Tanned face devolved to wrinkly skin

Legs that could carry miles

Were barely standing, gangly and thin

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Heart once young and free of pain

The flame of soul that burned bright

Was now marred with life’s stain

Noon’s blaze, to kindling flame of night 

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Voice was raspy, like creaking door

A raven’s whisper in ink-black skies

Innocence of toddler, crawling on floor

To conscience shredded by millions of lies

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Anger of mind, inside burns with spite

Laughs of joy were replaced by miserable cries

A pathetic state, without respite

Yet yearning for life in blackened heart lies

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Finally, light of life drifts away from withered skin

And cold of end grips the heart and soul

Remains but a husk, in the evening din

A maggot’s feast, they eat away whole

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Posted Nov 27, 2022, 5:18 PM UTC

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