Forest of Freedom

In every sense a hypocrite
A perfect whitewashed tomb
Skipping along the broad path
No sense of impending doom

Singing while picking wildflowers
Dancing beneath the moon
Never knowing the whispering wind
Was the devil’s breath monsoon

Suddenly the sky crashed down
It was a canopy of darkness
Seemingly breathtaking beauty
Revealed to be only starkness

Anguish seeped from the arboretum
Terror bleeding from the trees
Then a blinding explosion of mercy
An accordion bend of my knees

Just like that it was over
Springtime resurrected
Ransomed and restored to
The One from whom I’d defected