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The Gate At The End Of The Path

A Poem for the Short and Sweet Challenge

By Caroline JanePublished 3 years ago 1 min read
The Gate At The End Of The Path
Photo by John Silliman on Unsplash

The gate at the end of the path is open,

and I sit on the cold step and look deep, into it's dark.

Just me, and the moon, each of us high, hung, dead, and flat;

held, as one, in the calm and hazy hush of an aged wake.

Tied by one long soft sigh of loss, of love, of life, of lust...

a weft of woes spun to silk.

Does the moon slip down it, or do I?

One lone salt tear.

Drip.

Onto mud.

The rust on the old gate is lit gold.

A halo of gilt. Is it cast from the beam of our silk?

Does it glow from what it has lost? Age, time, life, love.

It is all a blur.

I wait for the wind to come. Like it did that day.

Wild, from the west, full of oats and lead.

I will feel you in it. The thud of your hard, fast feet

down the path, away from here, out to sew your seed wide.

I will feel you in its bite. I will see the gun in your eyes.

I will hear that one long, loud lone shot and then you will be gone,

and I won't feel you then. The wind will stop, and all will be calm;

only the howl of my dead echo will live on.

love poemsheartbreak

About the Creator

Caroline Jane

CJ lost the plot a long time ago. Now, she writes to explore where all paths lead, collecting crumbs of perspective as her pen travels. One day, she may have enough for a cake, which will, no doubt, be fruity.

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

  2. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  3. Expert insights and opinions

    Arguments were carefully researched and presented

  1. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  2. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  3. Masterful proofreading

    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

  4. On-point and relevant

    Writing reflected the title & theme

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Comments (16)

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  • Test2 years ago

    Very creative and powerful Caroline Jane Well done!

  • Amelia2 years ago

    awesome, eerie, and interesting. great job, it was super fun to read. it kind of reminds me of a poem by e.h. called 'do you remember the night the moon dropped from the sky'. one of my favorites. :)

  • Dana Crandell2 years ago

    I love the questions you posed. Great entry!

  • Sarah Danaher2 years ago

    Very well done and good progression through out the poem.

  • Moe Radosevich3 years ago

    Excellent writing love it 😊😊

  • Gosh this was so tragic yet powerful! It seemed very lyrical to me as well. It could become a song! Brilliant work!

  • Deep and intrinsic very well done

  • Wow, well done!! ❤️

  • Mackenzie Davis3 years ago

    Wow. This is stellar work, Caroline! I love this line, and how it creates a theme throughout the poem: "a weft of woes spun to silk." The heartbreak you evoke is just gut wrenching, and I can feel the love come through alongside it. Fantastic job on this challenge.

  • Test3 years ago

    You did a stellar job with this entry!

  • Babs Iverson3 years ago

    Melancholy and amazing!!! Loved it!!!♥️♥️💕

  • Gina C.3 years ago

    Absolutely gorgeous, Caroline! Wow 😍

  • A great set of words and an excellent challenge entry.

  • Cathy holmes3 years ago

    Omg. This is terrific, and also horrific. Beautifully written with palpable melancholy.

  • J. S. Wade3 years ago

    Wow. Surreal feelings powerfully written. Excellent poem Caroline 🥰

  • Donna Renee3 years ago

    Ahhh so beautiful!! There are so many gorgeous lines but this one stands out to me “Does it glow from what it has lost? Age, time, life, love.” ❤️❤️

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