The Alchemist...

The ‘shadows grow long’, youthful zest wanes,
Dreams are dimming, the Abyss is yawning ever wider,
Smiles have retired,
And, Meaning, like some elusive chimera, fades fast...

Nothingness is longed for,
Enough of pain,
Enough of angst-filled fear,
Enough of hollow tomorrows...

All his life, the Alchemist has worked his magic to transmute the leaden shackles of others into golden, scintillating freedoms,
But, how is he going to free himself?
When he longs to grasp the Ferryman’s hand, whether it leads to Nirvana or to Hades?

Amidst all this, appears yet another suffering soul before him,
Entreating him to free her,
She’s in a sorry state,
Although strong in body,
Eyes are drooping,
Desire is all but dead,
Hope has eloped,
Youthful joy has turned to a senses-dulling dread...

Sighing, like an old and dying lion of the desert, way past its prime, life’s essence long drained out of him,
The Alchemist musters his craft once more,
Like a worn-out dervish,
He begins the dance which entices innocents to join in...

Slowly but surely, she joins in,
Her youthful body moves in ways that would have sparked the Alchemist’s desire in times past,
Now, he only dances,
Vigorously outwardly,
Whilst within, his inner child is weeping softly and disconsolately...

Finally, the job is done,
The sparkle has once again returned to her eyes,
Her shoulders are humming in tune with the rhythm,
She’s once again the Siren she’s used to being...

But, what of the Alchemist?
He’s treading water,
He’s laughing at the terror that engulfs him,
Within, within though,
The inner-child awaits more hollow tomorrows...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Posted: Apr 2012

Poems entered on these pages are copyrighted by the authors who entered them. They cannot be reproduced without the author's written consent. © Copyright 2001-2024. All rights reserved.

Post Comment

Comments (16)

Macduff5
Hi EGT,

Good to hear from you again. The Alchemist can perform his magic tricks but he knows that's what they are...slight of hand...words of wisdom, encouragement, confidence but can they sustain? Can they turn base metal into gold? Another thought provoking write. Cheers mate.thumbs up wine
elo69
hi Egt

funny how we all read the same words,yet see a different thing.
nice write...elo

ps...curiosity killed the cat
LadyMorgana60
A very good write Earlgreytea wine
My view as seen, tis about time the Alchemist stop draining himself healing others pain for awhile..Have a holiday! time to receive and relax a tad. dancing wine
Thanks for sharing wine
Poetnumber1
Its so nice to see you Earl and a lovely writepeace M.Mwine
Ahyra
This is beautiful Earl, so nice to read you again bouquet
Maxeen_1
Hi EGT great to see you again..another stunning write I agree very much so with fellsman and gnj4u (joy)re there comments ..you always write so profound. .
Hugss poet friend Livy x gift teddybear
Earlgreytea
[Macduff5 Newcastle, New South Wales Australia
18 hours ago
Hi EGT,

Good to hear from you again. The Alchemist can perform his magic tricks but he knows that's what they are...slight of hand...words of wisdom, encouragement, confidence but can they sustain? Can they turn base metal into gold? Another thought provoking write. Cheers mate.]

Thanks for your thought provoking comment MacDuff... beer
paloma66
An excellent allegorical gem.Some more pearls of wisdom.Thank you for sharing nice to see you here again.purple heart hug
Earlgreytea
ELO:

23 hours ago
hi Egt

funny how we all read the same words,yet see a different thing.
nice write...elo

ps...curiosity killed the cat


thanks for your praise dear Elo, much appreciated, and yea, i agree, there are a 'thousand' different shades of green, depending on who's looking... wine
Earlgreytea
LadyMorgana60 Somewhere in the East, Norfolk, England UK
23 hours ago
A very good write Earlgreytea
My view as seen, tis about time the Alchemist stop draining himself healing others pain for awhile..Have a holiday! time to receive and relax a tad.
Thanks for sharing


good advice, thanks very much...
Odette67
But, what of the Alchemist?
He’s treading water,
He’s laughing at the terror that engulfs him,
Within, within though,
The inner-child awaits more hollow tomorrows...

I read "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho a year or two back... I found it a most interesting read... As I did your poem EGT...Nice to see your smile grace the corner once in a while. hug purple heart
windyweatherly
Just beautiful. EGT

thanks for sharing
Earlgreytea
Poetnumber1 morvant Trinidad and Tobago
Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:17 AM
Its so nice to see you Earl and a lovely write M.M

thanks dear MM...
CelticPoet12
EGT, this is a stirring piece and I applaud your end result. Wonderfully written and thought provoking. Thank you for sharing. What a lovely treat, reading your work. applause wine
Yankee4youonline today!
Just catching up a little....wow this is grand!! Kudos for sure....wonderful prose.....very interesting story within a story....cheers cheers
hedistuff
Terrific! Now, add a visit to the chemist, plus a shot of security for luck, and perhaps I'll find some pluck...
Post Comment - Let others know what you think about this Poem
Report Abuse for this page, if inappropiate
We use cookies to ensure that you have the best experience possible on our website. Read Our Privacy Policy Here