The Rift and the Rift revised

 The Rift

timeworn crevasse going through the mountain   in the pooling sunlight golden rays
alpine trees silhouetted against the setting sun
periwinkle clouds floating ethereally   in a sky the color of pink  lemonade
the first faint twinkling of stars  in the darkening vault above

touch the stone walls as traversing the mountain  
cold hard granite  passes under your fingers
sliding along squeezed by the deepening chasm  
the ancient grit of time forgotten sifting down

feel the cool breeze as it plummets down off the mountain
to make the hair buffet the face all around
hear the breath of the wind as it sails past the ears
it whispers and urges a little further on

the rift widens out into a deep pristine valley
a land untrod by men since the dawn of time
an inky black lake silver moonrays playing on the ripples
and off in the distance a creature wails lonely and forgotten

                                                                                      Mitch Fuqua


The Rift Revised

Along the rift and growing dimmer, the last faint stars in the limitless void
pale periwinkle lilac clouds float ethereally in the pink lemonaide sky
golden sunlight color streams photons illuminating  
desperate wind gnarled trees silhouetted

around the time of the ancient stone walls exposed to elements unmerciful
fissure like cracks opening on either side under stress enormous pressure
now the other side is crumbling bits and pieces falling away
rubble floored pathway opening to the shadowed maw of the chasm

set high in the mountain wall a forgotten chosen path now forlorn
the cold hard granite passage now frigid with icy breath of old man mountain
cutting it hits the face slides along jaw over ear tingling then numb
wind howling like a banshee as it tears down the mountain slope

far below in the sheltered valley surrounded by coniferous trees
in a deep wound in the earth gouged by glacier in age of mastodon
pools a black inky loch white fog rising from calm still waters
undefeated sun sinking to the bottom of the lonely lake