This song is for my brother, Markku, who seems to believe in me more than I believe in myself.
The blackness no longer obliterated the entrance of the cave.
No more than any cave would, anyway.
He stepped inside. The air was cool.
He picked up a glowing jewel
and went further in.
The walls were adorned with art he had not seen
on his previous visit.
He turned back, now everything was clear.
The darkness had left, and in the light of the gem,
he recognized the drawings came from him.
The child inside him interpreted the art his tiny hand had made.
They were beautiful. They were simple,
uncomplicated images that just fell,
without pretense, onto the rock face.
A swath of yellow enveloped one rock.
Looking closer at it, Flash could see the brushstrokes
beneath dust and crystals forming on its surface.
Next to it was a second rock, also painted yellow.
Flash held the crystal lantern up to it,
and he heard the child within him giggle.
What’s so funny? He asked aloud.
The childlike giggle became a full laugh,
which echoed through the cave.
They are two different yellows! The innocent voice
blurted out, and Flash remembered.
Here was his past, inscribed on stone.
It was preserved and protected
in the shelter of the cave.
He thought of his dream, where he saw the hologram
still projected from the ruins of the castle.
The yellow panels shimmered in the light
of the glowing crystal. They were two similar
yet distinct shades of a happy hue.
Something melancholy lurked within the color
as Flash recalled that day when he was a little boy.
You’re doing it wrong! a little girl blamed,
You’re supposed to use two different colors!
Oh, they are! He claimed, but she had gone to tattle.
Could she not see the variation? Flash smiled, happy
that he didn’t need her approval. He was happy
that the simplest of paintings could hold so much meaning.
He was satisfied that whatever hurt he felt in kindergarten
only added flavor to his creation.
What’s so funny? He asked aloud.
The childlike giggle became a full laugh,
which echoed through the cave.
He was glad that most people
would not see,
or take time to understand,
and that the only validation he needed
came from himself.
He turned back, now everything was clear.
every now and then things become clear.