A burning world of reds and golds
Spitting flame and glowing coals
Vivid heat and crushing doubt
I don’t know how to get us out
Stuck on one side near the edge
Death below a crumbling ledge
Up to me to find the way
But air is thick with black and grey
Time is slipping with the rocks
Unforgiving hands of clocks
They look at me and beg with eyes
Save us please! Don’t let us die!
Turn and see a bridge of wood
Too far down to do any good
All seems lost as skin does burn
Losing hope of safe return
Bitter smoke is filling lungs
Taste of black is on my tongue
Look again as lava falls
Fills the earth and covers walls
Safety lies across the flames
Past the clouds of scalding rain
Then I see the faintest glint
A hanging rope, a little hint
No time left to think aloud
I leap into the acid cloud
Rushing waves of fiery breath
Claws my face with hints of death
Hand outstretched in stubborn faith
Grab the rope and sealed safe
My weight pulls down as I fall
The bridge does rise above the walls
I climb it back to lead the rest
Across the bridge of courage test
Shaking wildly left and right
Timbers break and fall from sight
Every step could be the last
Bridge unraveling, loosening fast
Lead them running, don’t look back!
Behind us nightmares fade to black
A final leap and then we fell
Onto grass and wooded dell
The sky was blue and silence reigned
How we came here, unexplained
A black hole closes as I turn
I see the bridge collapse and burn
I watch them laugh with warming smiles
But in my heart I feel defiled
In paradise I could survive
But only in nightmares feel alive
This dream said, of many things
Fear destroys us, who dares wins..
Author notes
Option 8 in "Probably The Most Options In A Contest Ever..." contest. Where you had to write about the best dream you've ever had. This is a dream I had when I was still a boy, it is still one of the most vivid and memorable i've ever had. Being a dream, it may not make sense straight away, but hope you like it none the less 
A contest entry
- Probably The Most Options In A Contest Ever... by Autumn Whisper.
970 points, ended October 6, 2008, 15 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
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Good win!
The first part reminded me of Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock (yeah, trekkie fan). It's a little long; I kinda lost interest in the restating of
"Time is slipping with the rocks
Unforgiving hands of clocks" even though it tried to keep the theme going...that must have been one weird psyched out dream! But I must say, the ending is genuinly original and absolutely perfect!
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I love the background that goes along with this poem, it really does seem like fires and flames. The imagery in this poem brings alive this dream so well that I'm surprised that you dreamt this as a little boy and not yesterday, the images are THAT vividly described. I really liked the first stanza, as it seemed to relate to something I'm going through now.. that feeling that things are burning and you can't stop them, emotional things
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wow, this is great!
i love dreams that inspire poems, and this is one of the best i've ever read. i really enjoyed the imagery and the story. Great work
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Fabulous poem! Wonderful. It was filled with such brilliant imagery, and I like the little 'moral of the story' at the end - 'who dares wins.' Very good. Sounds like a very frightening dream, I would have probably forced myself awake
Good luck in the contest
best wishes as always
Autumn Whisper
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