i enter through the iron gates
holding in my hands
the remnants of my former life

slowly descending
into the valley of shadows
until surrounded by an endless sea of death

my way is haunted
by a never-ending maze of gravestones
but only one bears my name

taking the shovel in my weary hands
i dig deep
burying all that must be left behind

surrendering my past
once and for all,
i bid farewell to the old me

and i do not shed a tear

this will be
my final goodbye
a funeral for myself

i leave my grave clothes behind
and put on
the garments of life

i am a new creation

dead to what used to be,
finally letting go…

alive at last

poetry by j.e. fernandez

photo credit: The Ghoul-Gate | One grave in every graveyard | Flickr