Greatest Fear

The Story of a Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear - AT 326

Tonight I wish to present you with a poem. As with all of these entries, it is a largely spontaneous work, far from what I would consider a cohesive finished product. I hope you will keep that in mind, as it could be particularly distracting when it occurs in poetic format, as the meter and rhyme have not really been hammered out as well as they could be. As always, I encourage your feedback as to how I may improve my work.

One day a little boy went out to see what he could learn of fear
This feeling he had never felt but heard of quite a bit.
"What could it be," he thought aloud, "that captivates so many minds?"
"How stupid I must be to have such little grasp of it!"

So out he went into the land, through hours and weeks, through months and years
While asking everyone he met what thing they feared the most.
Some mentioned death, and others sin, some injury or grave disease.
Still other spoke of demons, or of monsters, or of ghosts.

But none of these could fright the boy, he knew them to be myths, or worse,
The specters of a sullen mind, excuses not to live with mirth.

The boy lamented that his quest had been so fruitless all these years.
While passing through a quiet town on one still, moonlit night
A local overheard his sighs and told him of a haunted place
Where he might pass three evenings and bring all his fears to light.

And so the boy took up this challenge, staying in the house alone
But for three nights he witnessed nothing, though he checked in every nook
Until the final night, when seaching in the cellar there he found
A silver, polished mirror into which he dared to look.

What he saw was strange to him, a cheerful life of peace and love,
Surrounded by a family and a host of caring friends.
A smile crossed his face, because he knew what he could have,
But unfortunate for him, that is not where the story ends.

For you see, this blessed mirror was reflecting only lies,
And in a moment it had changed before the child's weary eyes.

When the shining surface showed the truth, he saw he was no boy, at last,
But just an old and tired man whose dreams would never come to pass.

He'd spent his life in searching and had never really lived,
Nor had ever learned the value of the love he had to give.