A Wall in the Mist

A Poem

A forgotten wall © A. Harrison

A forgotten wall
Of ancient blocks,
Dressed in moss
Casts no shadow
In the mist.
Lichen
Stretches
Across the stones,
Fingering every crack

I’m not cold
Just cannot
Feel
Anything
No wind blowing
No scent of jasmine
No rustle
Of small animals.

If only the wall slept under a tangle of vines,
With flowers tumbling over the stones as
The scent of blossom fills the air.
Perhaps a stone seat nearby, looking over a landscape
Of rolling hills and sunsets of soft purple.
Somewhere a hidden gate opens onto
An inner courtyard. Small birds
Dart between the sparkling drops
Of a fountain which beckons me
To sit and listen while the falling water sings
Of the serenity which comes with simply visiting
Leaving behind the trials of living