Men the Earth Once Knew

Our eyes do not perceive them
As to and fro they travel
But if their power grows or dims
Their well-kept guise unravels

Then revealed are they
Their outward forms of ghostly view
Yet for all the fearful things men say
These too were men the earth once knew

Once, they lived and breathed the air
Once, they were flesh and bone
Once, they were young, without a care
Now they are dead, but not yet gone

Why still, with the living, do they mix?
To claim to know, I do not dare
But perhaps when they reached the River Styx
They could not afford the fare

Perhaps they linger for revenge
On their killer, yet unrevealed
Or maybe they felt Hell's burning singe
And turned and left their fate unsealed

Maybe still they yearn to go
To leave this world behind
But on the earth, they are kept low
And cannot ascend to lands without time

Some lived to love, some to fight
Many walked the earth alone
Some are harmless, but some are quite the fright
Among the dead, but not yet gone

Once, they lived and breathed the air
Once, they were flesh and bone
Once, they were young, without a care
Now they are dead, but not yet gone

Always remember the men the earth once knew
And never think you are alone
Do not forget they're always among you,
The dead, but not yet gone.

N. Ryan Mounce
April 16, 2007