At an impasse in the road, each view too obstructed to see
Paths laden with growing ivy, sight hidden beneath the boughs of trees
Which road is less traveled by, each engraved with footprints of ghosts
Markings fade into the distance, loose imprints that don't hold
At first glance a choice seemed so obvious, its' apparent clarity as bright as a half moon
Start sprinting down what feels familiar, running on such few fumes
How far can one run until you're gasping for air
This once comfort lined path now feeling as though you're caught in the snare
Not the first impasse ever encountered, in fact, not even close
Always chosen this route yet the surroundings are unfamiliar, the walkway overgrown
The soothing siren of the Sphinx carries all the way from the entrance
A song of calming notes, a peaceful lullaby of vengeance
Its' soundtrack so serene, its' riddle makes one almost feel known
Slowly coaxed from the forest, undoing the threads this traveler had once sewn
Facing the crossroads again, a new perspective of seeing it eye to eye
Ask above for help when you already have the answers, a now deafening silence from the sky
Is there a restart button on this voyage, a way to go back?
Certainly one could find who they were before this fork in the road if given permission to backtrack
But once an expedition has begun, once a prophecy is shared
A traveler's skin is stained of the fate with which they're paired
Decide to leave this road often taken, landscape so changed, its' once reassurance now gone
Hoping to recognize one's reflection in the water in the light of the rising dawn
Prophecies shed so much color on this traveling road, painting new mirages never seen
Then the messengers close their scroll, wiping the color completely clean
The initial path seemed so warm yet one far enough down it can't shake that cold
A mortal attempt to fit into an outgrown mold
Ahead lies the other way, its' darkness just as daunting
Where on the other, one could sprint - taking this new path feels like crawling
Some caverns have a fire blazing, welcoming a traveler in with open arms
Other resting places are blocked off by the weapons of looming guards
Each step feels like eggshells, attempts to avoid where a bomb could be planted
But one perfect leap in the right direction rewards one with access granted
The prophecy scroll unfolds again, color brought back to one's vision
Makes one feel like there's new clues to finding the hidden treasure of this cosmic collision
Then Hermes flies back to Olympus, leaving the road even darker than before
Taking his message with him, an apple rotten to the core
Sweet dispositions, the old charm once had now only found in dreams
Barbed wire shrouding flowers, stuck in a land of measuring paces and anticipating schemes
A pace too far to the right and one could find themselves in a place resembling Heaven
But too many paces to the left and one might find themselves on the cliff of another lesson
The same riddle floats about the air, the same riddle the traveler faced at the start
No clearer is the answer than it ever was, only the bruise is now beginning to scar
This lonesome journey met a fork in the road and they shook on an unspoken vow
These rare fault lines now aligned somehow
Hellbent on watering the tree of life planted so long ago
The traveler now finds themselves filling the watering can, in turn, helping the tree continue to grow
Hard to tell where a prophecy ends and a new one will begin -
Difficult to separate violence from peace, the yang from the yin
Though the Sphinx's riddle forced one away from the course home,
One's home now lies six feet under, topped with an unrecognizable gravestone
Left with little choice but to venture further into this land of unknown
A bird terrified to look behind them and see how far they've truly flown
This road presses on, who the traveler was fades like mist undone
A mere shadow now, from all the distance one has run
Though it's quite clear this path has surely stolen light,
It has just as surely shaped one's soul, an imprint as deep as night
Each move made, the Earth senses and the darkness keeps -
Its' secrets deep, where silence sleeps
Forever altered, a traveler can't turn back
Intuition your only guide in a world gone black