Paradise

[tanager]

Paradise

I stood by my window at sunrise.
The shutters were in need of repair:
Coal smoke clouded the lilac skies.
The bawl of a babe tore the air.

The breeze brought a hint of the ocean,
At odds with the scene that I see.
Peering out at the world from within—
Unbidden, strange thoughts tug at me.

How easy it'd be to imagine!
If only I closed my eyes,
This world we're condemned to live in
Might be far better than I surmise.

Could I turn a blind eye to corruption?
Could I see virtue where glares only sin?

I dream of long days, unbroken by night,
And though I know that it may not be right—

I want to build a paradise, in my mind,
A sanctuary of cloudless skies.
I want to leave this place behind
And escape to a world of lies.


Notes: I wrote this poem a few years ago and made minor edits today.