It comes.
It crashes.
IT DEVOURS

The wind is a mouth, open, screaming, swallowing branches whole. It gnaws, it rips, it shreds through bark through bone through breath through us.

It does not stop. It does not stop. It does not stop.

IT DOES NOT WAIT

IT DOES NOT PITY

it does not pity

We run. We fly. We thrash we scramble we tear into the sky but the sky is no escape no escape no escape.

NO ESCAPE

Clouds choke air tightens we claw at the dark.

but the dark claws BACK

DO YOU UNDERSTAND

DO YOU SEE IT

DO YOU FEEL IT

The moon tries to flee but it cannot silver pale turns nothing turns void.

It VANISHES

IT IS GONE ERASED CONSUMED

CONSUMED CONSUMED CONSUMED

we tremble we break we FALL

But him.

Still.

Misty sits.

he sits

HE SITS

HOW

the ground tears itself apart the trees beg the sky SCREAMS

but HE SITS

delicate fingers press to splintered bark grazing it honoring it

what is there to honor

what is there to hold

what is there to praise

it is broken

it is falling

IT IS GONE

he breathes

HE SMILES

HE LAUGHS

soft warm impossible

floating through the air floating through the ruin floating through the madness that

SHOULD HAVE SWALLOWED IT AWAY SHOULD HAVE SWALLOWED HIM AWAY

why

why does he stay why does he smile when nothing else does

the ground breaks pleads the sky RIPS OPEN collapsing folding breaking breaking BREAKING

the end is here

the end is here

THE END IS HERE

IT COMES

IT TAKES

IT RIPS

IT TEARS

AND ALL THAT REMAINS IS BREAKING

except HIM

what does he see

what

what is left to praise

WHAT. COULD. HE. POSSIBLY. SEE


~~~   ~ ~ ~   ~~~

branches crack and fall
tumbling like reckless laughter
yet he calls it grace

They call him reckless, wild and free.
Drift above or beneath the tide,
He's lost yet grins at all he sees,
They call him reckless, wild and free.
Sail or sink where no trouble be,
He laughs where they thought fear must hide.
They call him reckless, wild and free,
His journey waits on either side.

Wind hums gently through the glade,
bamboo bends where soft light fades.
Misty hums in harmony,
leaves dance in kind company.
Ten pleasant stories he trades,
for peace where wisdom pervades.
Laughter softens to stillness,
joy remains where hush persists.

The Monumental and Unequivocal Victory of Misty Which Without Need for Context or Clarification Shall Be Forever Remembered and Celebrated as the Pinnacle of Human Achievement and the Defining Triumph of All Generations Past, Present, and Future Whose Immeasurable Impact on the Progress of Society and the Elevation of Human Potential Shall Continue to Inspire Awe and Reverence in the Hearts and Minds of Every Individual Across All Continents and Throughout the Endless Span of Time Itself

There was a young lad named Misty.
He laughed with a bottle of whiskey.
Ten stories he told,
Of laundry and gold.
A crash and he fell through the chimney.