Return To Wonderland

The road is dark and gloomy
Dust swirls around my feet as I walk
Oppressive silence, heavy as tombstones
No chirp of birdsong here.
I plod on, knowing this is the right path
Though much time has passed since I last came this way.
The familiar way choked now with weeds
Yet strangely grey and lifeless.
Ahead hangs a blue black cloud, suspended like a ceiling
Obliterating the sun.
Its edge so sharp and clear
As if to say the real sorrow begins now.
Sparks of lightning flash briefly like a quarrel
Between two friends.
At the end of the path, where the cloud starts
Stands a simple wooden gate.
Weatherbeaten and worn by time
Looking proud yet foreboding.
The padlock is corroded with rust
From lashing rain like so many tears.
It is locked fast but I have the key
The question is dare I use it?

Hands clenched, tightly fisted
Clutched around a tiny golden key whose edges dig into my palm
Knuckles blanched white with pain
And fear.
Curling back my fingers
Revealing the gilt sparkling in the darkness there
Its brightness giving hope to all who view it
An indication of what could be.
Tentatively, I reach forward and insert it into the lock
With fingers slick through sweat I grasp it tightly
And turn.
The tumblers in the lock are heavy, grinding against the delicate
key
Pressure
Fingers slipping, losing their grip
I will not give in.
I will get through.
With one last effort
The key turns and the gate opens.

The weatherbeaten wood is rough under my fingertips
I give the gate a gentle push and watch it swing open
Revealing to me the place I seek
A land of hope and dreams.
A familiar and well-loved place.
Above me, the clouds boil and swirl
Suddenly releasing forth a bolt of lightning
Like a viper attacking its prey
The gate takes the blow and is destroyed
The way forward is blocked, the path is no more
The land of dreams is gone.

I stand on a path leading nowhere
Dust swirls around my feet.
The way ahead is gone, there is no turning back
Before me lies a blackened landscape, all dying and barren
I clench my fists and scream to the sky
But the wind steals the sound from my lips and I feel no release
I fall to my knees
And weep.