The Tunnel of Light
A free verse poem about the human endurance and perseverance in face of adversity
Memories were murderers in disguise
Lurking behind the very corners of my mind
I grabbed a gun and ran to destroy them
Only to find a blood trail of mine
I swayed and staggered along the rocky path
My mind, an abyss of blackness and vile
I limped away to seek refuge in exile
Away from the trappings of self-demise
The inner demons growled underneath my skin,
As if probed and provoked by the splinters of glass
I groped my way through the massive darkness
Hoping to find an ember of light
My limbs became weak and my eyes softened
My heart roared in my ears as my blood sang
I stood rudderless -
As I saw a stone half buried, ablaze and glow
A moment of epiphany wept over me
As I realised rubies came from stone and roses from thorns
Remedy is seen not from running
But rather treasuring the very memory ores
I heard whispers from the flames-
Not to surrender my pain so quickly
Let the roots cut more deep
Let it ferment and season me
I dug my way out of the cracks of earth,
With a palm and a fist
And there I saw my soul rebirth from the flames underneath
A phoenix fledging its wings
I howled so loud
The inner demons cowered in fear
They melted away
Like dust in my trance , leaving a halo in my chest
Memories are not the dying embers of the dead but the tunnel of light for the living.
About the Poet
Mathushah Satheesan is a Singaporean bred Sydneysider brewing the fragments of her thoughts into micro tales whilst not brewing her chai. Passionate to live the digital nomad lifestyle while studying to be a full-time optometrist.
