Plato's Retreat

Wonder filled the eyes of every girl and boy
A cyclone came and destroyed all of the toys
The tears they cried filled a reservoir
Though no one knew what the tears were for
Someday the toys would all be found
Scattered upon the barren ground
But their search sealed their fate
Taking them through the twisted gate
Into Plato's retreat…

Fingers retreat down yellow walls
Echo's screams in darkened halls
A glimmer of light, a soul unbound
What was lost can never be found
A reflected image in broken glass
Dorian Grey in a Halloween mask
Lost hope ravaged their minds
Shattered families they left behind
Saved by Father Murphy and his bell
Before their souls were lost in hell
Beside the grave, beneath the tomb
No returning to their mothers womb
Life is now a hopeless cause
Street rats believe in a Santa Claus
Who drank all of the communion wine
He left his dented sled behind
They played their music good and loud
Floating above the thunder clouds
The rain fell for a day or two
While children floated in the empty pool
They saw the ship sink last night
Avenging angels on endless flights
Bowling balls broke thirty stairs
No one had a dime to spare
Beaten senseless by a winter storm
Lost in a fire no longer warm
Plato laughed as he locked the gate
Checking the schedule for tomorrow's date
Another patient will soon arrive
Caught between dead or alive
And Plato's retreat will ring once again
With the shrieks of the howling wind

d.s. brueckner