Road of damnation. How long have my steps haunted scorched Asphalt. A mirage of my former frame Willed back to existence. As if projected through dust and air, From the memory of friends and family And yet corporeal...The hole remains, Void of light and warmth. And so I wander winding threads beyond what mortal eye could see Feet dragged heavy through cracked stone, Searching...until all of me is made whole. And as time unfolds, I am pulled eternally forward. Tethered, to life’s grip. The past beckons me, Clutching to heels made raw from the march, Their wails echo faintly through driven steps. Eyes fixed towards the Dawn, treading ahead of the night, Till frost cascades down weighted shoulders. And bares my body to rest, as my mind sinks through faltered thoughts. And so I traverse this path, beyond feeling and function Rooted to truth. “Road of damnation...all roads must end. leveled by steadied strides, And until then....I will survive. Though wild winds may buffet my being, And cast me far across The Dunes, I will find you again. Road that snakes without end... For the more my foot falls upon vacant lane, I relearn and grow and become more the same. For even though the soul is weak, it was birthed in stars’s fire. And when wrapped within me... In dreams, it will not tire. So how can I”. -J.R. Bastion