Ascend the wizened steps of time

Upon the spirit of a rhyme;

Upon a meter’s lucid wings

And hear the song a poet sings.

“Below us, vast oblivion

Above us dreams elusion.

The future is a deep unknown;

The past, the airs the gods have flown.

Let’s join them there! The deities –

And walk again our histories.”

Low creak the steps beneath our feet,

Echoing soft the quickened beat

Of hearts excited by the thought

“There’s that ahead which we know not

And though we think have a clue

There is no telling what we’ll do!”

Swiftly, now, ascend the stairs!

Faster than thought on an angel’s prayers,

Quicker than time when the deeds are full,

Softer than the whispering of the soul.

Upward unending the steps glide on

Leading to where heroes have gone,

Where ballads were sung and many the lays

Were heard in the halls of the minstrels’ days.

Around us is starlight, below us the night,

Between here and there a wonderful sight

Of ghosts and of spirits dancing the stories

Of ages long gone and all their glories.

Lo! There ahead, a portal espy:

A door, old and rough. Up to it we fly

Into the past and the years of yore:

We lift up the latch and open the door.