Shelley's Farewell, by Kati Nagy

The Cremation of Percy Bysshe Shelley, by Louis Édouard Fournier (France), 1889.

Shelley's Farewell

Now at last I lay at rest
upon this prickly pyre,
cradled in this smoking nest
enveloped by the fire.
To leave behind what I detest
remains my one desire,
to turn my back on life's cruel jest
escape the loveless mire.
Let mourners wail in tones distressed,
perhaps they are not liars.
But I alone am truly blessed
as twilight lifts me higher.

Kati Nagy

This was written as part of the 20 Poem Challenge.

Kati Nagy is a semi-retired, globe-trotting ESL teacher who now resides in San Francisco with a view of the sparkling Bay Bridge. She weaves her stories in poems, collages, memoir, and solo performances.