The Fall

 

The Fall

 

Long ago,

Beneath the waves she fell,

And in her passing,

The light in the world dimmed,

And may not shine so clear again…

 

By many names was she known,

A jewel and a pursuit was she.

A desire and a destination,

A longing and a goal,

And many tarried there once finding her shores.

 

Unguessed treasures were hers to share,

To bestow,

Yet she kept not for herself,

Curating for all.

None were turned away that asked,

None suffered if she could cure,

An open hand she had,

Gifting freely.

 

The scholar and the artisan chose her,

The painter portrayed her elegant,

The poet did homage.

The flautist and the harpist played her beauty,

As best they may,

The singer made honor of her.

 

Widely was she known,

Widely was she loved,

Even from afar.

Her philosophers and scribes

Travelled may leagues,

And many seas,

To bring her boon to all lands.

 

Long ago,

Beneath the waves she fell,

And in her passing,

The light in the world dimmed,

And may not shine so clear again.

 

Yet for some,

Her light was too bright,

Exposed too much.

These would allow their greed

To overbear their reason,

Would let lust to consume their hearts,

Permitted envy and jealousy to poison their being.

 

These then did conspire against her,

Some singly,

Some in concert,

But the goal of all of them was the same:

They would plunder,

They would ravage,

They would end her and darken her,

A beacon they could otherwise not withstand.

 

What words they spoke against her!

What revile they declared!

Long and long they shouted!

Longer still they whispered,

And mocked her,

And lied against her,

And plotted secret.

 

O! What woe they wrought!

What evil they pressed against her!

They harried her in great force,

And still she shone!

And for a time…

She stood.

 

Long ago,

Beneath the waves she fell,

And in her passing,

The light in the world dimmed,

And may not shine so clear again.

 

Then in dark day,

In moonless night,

Her towers came under siege.

Her ramparts were assailed.

Her buttresses bombarded,

Her walls scaled,

Her very foundations gnawed at by her enemies,

Blinded ravenous worms that they were.

 

She fell.

And though there was great outcry at the assault of her,

She fell.

 

Then did the people mourn,

Then did the harpist play his dirge,

Then did the flautist fall silent,

And the painter made image in black and red,

And the poet could no longer rhyme,

And the singer could only cry.

 

She fell,

And the indifferent sea swallowed her,

And she was known no longer.

 

No map now marks her,

No monument is raised.

She has been lost to myth and rumor,

And there is no saving her.

A light was extinguished in our remembrance,

And we are the poorer for it.

She fell,

And we with her.

 

Long ago,

Beneath the waves she fell,

And in her passing,

The light in the world dimmed,

And may not shine so clear again.

 

Cliff Lake 8/23/2025

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2025