Haunted Universe

I woke up in a haunted universe

And stood at once in awe

Of the splendor of intricate design

And the despair of its decay

And could not decide

If for the indescribable beauty

I burst with elation

Or for its wasting

I mourned

Yet under the sickening blight

The architecture was so lofty

My heart ached to know the crafter

And when I, dusting cobwebs

Glimpsed his fingerprint

On an ornate doorpost

A thrill of hope surged up my spine

He was here!

As if the evidence had not been

Overwhelmingly around me

Gazing on the structure

My eye fell on a shingle

Once loose

And a single nail, tapped into place

Holding back corruption

He is still here

If I could not ever fully explain

Why he left

Why the pain

It would not wipe that print away

And if I could not tell you why

He allows the rule of blight

It would not pull that nail from its place

I could not stand less amazed

At the artisan

Beyond my comprehension

I walk a haunted universe

Sentimental over every remnant

Of the grandeur it used to be

Grieving its demise

Cherishing each glimpse

Of his tending hand

Awaiting his return

--Katherine Eby