Tears Carved Into Stone
By Oscar S. Cisneros
Trapped inside the labyrinth crisscrossed by ancient hedges,
The maze is all surrounded by iron fences at its edges.
Crumbling are the bricks that were laid here long ago;
The fountain once was grand but now its water does not flow.
Still, the garden's green, o'ergrown with brittle roses.
Angry sprites lurk in the bushes and sniff the air with pointy noses.
A chill hangs in the shadows and yet it's stuffy in the sun.
Indeed there's quite a stillness as the wind has ceased to run.
Once upon a time laughter and music filled the ears
But now a raven's squawkings is all the noise there is to hear.
It's easy to get lost. All the statues look the same:
Sculptures of love long gone slowly weathered by the rain.
At the end of one dead end a statue stands alone.
Its face that one was proud bears tears carved into stone.
