When I woke, my eyes found the street, now cleansed.
No filth remained; all the loud mouths had vanished.
A smile spread across my face, deep and unrestrained.
Nothing could be heard.
Only the sound of silence,
its solemn music recalling my forgotten name.
The earth deepened my soul.
Nature answered my laughter with its own untimely smile.
I ran like a happy child; every street became mine.
Birds circled overhead,
and I raised my hand to them.
Dogs crossed the road,
and for the first time, I did not fear them.
I climbed roofs and towers
until the whole city lay beneath me,
and I became its only sage.
I gave thanks to the apocalypse,
the blow that broke the Old World’s rule
until it found its truest shape.
The veil above existence had been lifted.
Now, in its rawness, everything seemed changed.
The void called me, and I felt embraced.
It whispered without ceasing,
keeping pace with my inner monologue.
It listened without stopping.
attending to every movement of my inner force.
Only it remained beside me, quietly.
Though, in truth, it had always been nearby,
waiting beyond the yoke of humanity.
― Atrona Grizel