The Universe has always existed, and it always will. No beginning, no end, no middle – an eternal continuance.

But at some point, Something woke up.

Something decided there should be more to the Universe besides its own existence. The Universe was beautiful, magical, but empty. There was no Life in the Universe.

And so Something decided to do something about it. Something found a planet, just right for its plans. It was a small planet, held together around a molten core. It had land and sky, and seas all around.

Something knew it was perfect.

It circled the planet, planning. There was so much space, so many options.

As a being of the Universe, Something could see all of time, past, present, future, all running at once.

It could see that if it meddled on this planet, wonderful things would happen.

It could see that if it meddled on this planet, terrible things would happen.

Something had to make a decision. Was it worth it, to create Life that would be so full of pain and struggle, so full of fear and rage?

Something shuffled through time, looking for a moment in the madness; just one, to give it hope.

It paused, focusing on one image. A child sat, dark curly hair surrounding her like a shining aura, her brown skin warm from the sun. Her eyes were closed against the world whizzing past her, and a small smile lit up her face.

This was the moment for which Something was looking. A moment of purity, of love, of peace, stolen away from the world that wanted to crush it, triumphant in its innocent transcendence.

If this moment was possible, then maybe, just maybe, the Universe could handle a little Life.

Something breathed on the planet, and so it was.

© The Lightning Tower, 2020

I used to think it strange,
Listening to the old fable,
That Hope kept such bad company
In Pandora’s gilded box.

Curiosity got the better of her,
As it usually does,
And horrors were released
By vindictive deities.

War
Hatred
Greed
Pain
Disease
Poverty
Death

And yet Hope was left behind,
Sealed in tight
When Pandora realized the trick
Played on her by fate.

But I think I understand now.
Hope can be beautiful,
But it can also bring us pain.
A pain we live with every day.

We hold out Hope,
Waiting for things to change,
To be better,
To make a difference
To save us.

And yet.

Hope can be the pain in our chests,
The fog in our eyes.
Hope lingers just out of reach,
Mocking our suffering.

I think I understand the story now.

© The Lightning Tower, 2020

Broken bits of story
Float across my mind,
Teasing me
With their potential.

I sit,
Staring at an empty page,
Waiting for the words
To come and find me.

My fingers wait,
Still as stone.
Or they fly,
Dancing on their own.

I am eternally surprised
How something can be
So easy, and so hard,
At the same time.

© The Lightning Tower, 2020

There is magic in the air,
I can feel it on my skin,
Somewhere a storm is brewing,
And about to head my way.

I hear a warning from the trees,
As they waver to and fro.
Seek shelter! They cry, Take heed!
The rain is on its way!

I smell the drops just as they fall,
And feel them on my skin.
The rain brings with it a fresh hope,
For change,
And growth,
And peace of mind.

© The Lightning Tower, 2020

The habits we want
Always seem to be the ones
Hardest to keep up.

© The Lightning Tower, 2020

I build up walls,
And wonder why
I go about unseen.

I retreat from the world,
And wonder why
I am so alone.

I close my heart,
And wonder why
I feel empty inside.

I look at my life,
And wonder how
I ended up this way.

I listen to my thoughts,
And wonder how
I became so disappointed.

I question my apathy,
And wonder how
I stopped caring.

I wonder – no answers.

© The Lightning Tower, 2020

The voices of the past
Echo all around us.
We just need to listen.

© The Lightning Tower, 2020