I was lost.
Not so many chapters ago, in a dark
Book of confusion and pain. Too many
Thoughts in a mind crowded by doubt
And dreams broken by jealousy's hand.
Sleep abandoned through endless nights
Of solemn unrest and a mind never quiet
With sweeping vicious circles that rippled
To depths of myself I had never known.
An intense melancholy overtook me
And seeped through every part
Of my pained soul and harsh spirit
Until I was both fevered and frozen.
A gentle light shone in the lost
temple of myself, a flicker of warmth
To a sickened heart and silent hope
For a betrayed self that feared to believe.
Just a touch of light in the gloom
That lit a rocky and treacherous
Path so daunting to an exhausted
Traveller who only wanted to sleep.
Each painful step carried the weight
Of a hundred shattered memories
That only became a heavier burden
The closer I came to the glow.
A painful journey that tore at skin
And spilt precious rubies, it seemed
To stretch on in ever increasing
Spirals under a pitch black spell.
After what felt like several lifetimes
Spent wandering a cruel and uncertain
Path, I could finally reach out and touch
The single candle flame that led me on.
My lungs heaved with the feel of fresh air,
So sweet a taste to dry lips. Blinking
Frantically to try and cope with blinding
New light, I slowly found my balance.
Here, at journey's end, resting gently
Against sweet, soft grass that cools
Feverish skin, I look out across freedom
And daylight, finally free of the void.
Sometimes, the blue sky clouds over
And light flickers to patches of dark
Even now, calling me back to the cold
Blackness, and doubts and pain still calls.
Yet, even as I look around the expanse
Of land around me, not sure Which way
To go, I see the dawn of change ahead
And know that it has all just begun.
Not so many chapters ago, in a dark
Book of confusion and pain. Too many
Thoughts in a mind crowded by doubt
And dreams broken by jealousy's hand.
Sleep abandoned through endless nights
Of solemn unrest and a mind never quiet
With sweeping vicious circles that rippled
To depths of myself I had never known.
An intense melancholy overtook me
And seeped through every part
Of my pained soul and harsh spirit
Until I was both fevered and frozen.
A gentle light shone in the lost
temple of myself, a flicker of warmth
To a sickened heart and silent hope
For a betrayed self that feared to believe.
Just a touch of light in the gloom
That lit a rocky and treacherous
Path so daunting to an exhausted
Traveller who only wanted to sleep.
Each painful step carried the weight
Of a hundred shattered memories
That only became a heavier burden
The closer I came to the glow.
A painful journey that tore at skin
And spilt precious rubies, it seemed
To stretch on in ever increasing
Spirals under a pitch black spell.
After what felt like several lifetimes
Spent wandering a cruel and uncertain
Path, I could finally reach out and touch
The single candle flame that led me on.
My lungs heaved with the feel of fresh air,
So sweet a taste to dry lips. Blinking
Frantically to try and cope with blinding
New light, I slowly found my balance.
Here, at journey's end, resting gently
Against sweet, soft grass that cools
Feverish skin, I look out across freedom
And daylight, finally free of the void.
Sometimes, the blue sky clouds over
And light flickers to patches of dark
Even now, calling me back to the cold
Blackness, and doubts and pain still calls.
Yet, even as I look around the expanse
Of land around me, not sure Which way
To go, I see the dawn of change ahead
And know that it has all just begun.
Gold trophy winner
Adding your comment:
! So deeply expressive, so vivid. The flow is just excellent, the personal tale loade with wonderful metaphors. It was an easy read, even with caps at the beginning of each line (not necessarily the beginning of a new statement). 
Just the second to last stanza broke the flow somehow for me. Either im not reading it right, or grammatically theres something wrong: "Even now, calling me back to the cold
8 old applause
