The Raven Falls

The Raven Falls
by Keaton Foster



Slowly down
The raven falls
Its wings broken
Its bones weighted
More than lift could defy
Like a feather
Sinking in a river of stones
Its descension is both beautiful
And abundantly terrifying
There is an arrow
Within its chest
Through its heart
Expertly fired from afar
There is no blood on the tip
Because death holds none
Its eyes are open wide
Seeing me as it falls
Downward spiraling
Just as I often find myself
Across the valley it was hunted
At my feet no doubt it will be
The marksman will be gone
Never to be known
Never to be held to account
It will become the end and I
Getting acquainted in death
As we always have in life
I will hold it close
Unafraid of what is next
As we both silently go
I won’t feel sorry for myself
But for it there will be a sadness
I have spent my life trying to express
With a thud
There it is, the raven falls
Wounded, it labors to an end
That we must both now face
I pick it up and hold it close
Pulling the arrow from its chest
It makes no sound
And neither do I
I peer deeply into its eyes
A slight reflection shows back
And in that moment
I come to realize
That it will all somehow be alright
Its body inflates in agony
And then softly as the wind
It expels its final breath
Down upon the ground
We now find our way
Looking up at nothing
Leaving behind something
The end…



Written by Keaton Foster Copyright © 2008-2024