J. Thomas Walker - A Visitor on the Midnight Hour

Softly sleeping, soundly asleep.
A ring struck true through my

nightmares.

Up I stood and there I stand,
Again, again the clap of bells.

A knock upon the door...

Down the hall and stairs I trek,
The only light the emerald glow

of the clock

screaming midnight.

Through the looking glass

all was dark,

I threw wide the door.
There stood and stands, Truth:

framed by the door jam
in a black trench coat
with a rapier at his side...

By a flash all is black and white,

save his cutting sapphire eyes.

And it began to rain,
The skies wept giving all

they contain...

He was waiting,

waiting, to be invited in...

I motioned him so -
and saw the lighting flash in answer
"Thank you" Truth spoke

and the thunder

roared in chorus

Taking his coat and hat,
I waited to see what he would say

and whether he would stay...

Closing the door all was cast

into night-

lighting had been the only light.
Truth led the way,

up the stairs, down the hall.

Darkness retreats before him -
And does not trespass,

where he has passed.

Truth turned to me,

there in my room.

He did not speak but only looked

at me, as if to see...

I do not know,

but Truth looks and looked.

In his eyes truth shown,
all that had happened or would.
Truth sees and had seen,

my evil exposed.

No one save us saw it that day,
though I knew it in every way.
Truth left without a word,

like bird taking flight.

And I knew he was right.