Madness beckoned me one day,
A mad idea, with which to play.
A journey of unfathomed heights,
The risk of falls, and pitch black nights.
Fraught with enemies so real,
And hidden friends to be revealed.
He tempted me with witty tales,
Of tiny men and giant whales.
Of stars and mountains, seas and shores,
All terrains I could explore.
He grabbed my hand, to lead me on,
Before I blinked, my house had gone.
“Wait”, I cried. “I must confer,
With Doubt and Fear so to be sure,
That risk of falls and pitch black night,
Will not consume or kill by fright”.
And so I stepped back though my door
Back in the shadows I adore.
Doubt and Fear did hold me close,
And in their arms I did repose.
I waited hours and peeked outside,
To see that Madness sat astride
His horse and galloped far away,
To not return for many a day.
I shook hands with Relief and sighed,
To raise a smile indeed I tried,
But nagging in my mind there lay,
A thought that I had missed today.
That which might have freed my soul,
And lit a fire from dying coal.
As the months went rolling on,
Dreams made up for life’s dull song,
Dreams of places far from here,
That Madness tried to me endear.
Of tiny men and giant whales,
And dangers told in lengthy tales.
To starve off Loneliness and Pain,
Humour came to entertain,
Folly, Laughter joined the throng,
And in their company the song
Of life did seem to be enough,
To stop Regret strutting her stuff.
Illusion as the years rolled by,
Did cover me with many a lie.
Sights and smells that were not there,
Turned the nights into Despair.
She wrapped me in Her arms so strong,
And here I lay imprisoned long.
Winter came and cold did crawl,
Along the windows, and the doors.
Regret, Despair lay close with me,
And in my mind, all I could see,
Was Madness galloping away,
How I wish I’d gone that day.
In the Spring, upon the door,
A knock I heard, which caused uproar,
My friends inside begged me to leave
The sound unanswered, to them cleave.
But something in the air that day,
Did beckon me to disobey.
I broke away and ran to see,
Who it was that called on me,
I heaved my shoulder, ‘gainst the door,
And sunlight streamed in on the floor.
In garment white, and golden haired,
Hope it was, standing there.
She smiled at me and led me to,
Those not met, but still I knew,
Bravery, Daring, Quest and Fun,
Saddled horses, ready to run.
And in their midst Madness laughed,
For once and twice he now had asked.
As I looked to winter Friends,
I knew that this time it would end.
But instead of staying home,
They also climbed ready to roam,
For our journey must have all,
To climb and jump and run and fall.
Off we set to parts unknown,
To travel high and crawl down low.
To bridge the chasms, cross the seas,
And dance among the bumblebees.
Hope led the charge, and on the course
I met new riders each on horse.
Love and Joy and Irony,
Peace and Tears, Humility.
As they danced, I realised,
That I had always tried to hide,
To think of safety but in truth,
I had given up my youth.
Now indeed, I welcome all,
To reach the peaks, and brave the falls.
To hide with Fear and laugh at Fate,
To ride with all my Friends till late.
Tiny men and giant whales,
Around the fire I tell tall tales.
Within me still is Doubt and Fear,
But overcome when I draw near,
To Hope and Love and Joy and Peace,
In whose presence their powers cease.
The old darkness fades each day,
And I am free to run and play.
Should you meet a horseman Mad,
Don’t despair, instead be glad.
For likely he is Friends with those,
Who new songs of life compose,
And through adventure, bitter – sweet,
You will find your life complete.
WHALE? What Whale? 