I ran through a golden field,
the grass beneath my feet
soft as satin,
sunlight on my face,
a warm and gentle breeze
lightly stroking my hair.
I heard a laugh like little bells
and reached out toward the light
that shone from everywhere.
I stopped,
breathless.
Before me was an open door,
a staircase on the other side.
I looked to the sky
and watched a bird fly overhead.
I stepped through
and the door closed behind me.
No grass beneath my feet.
But I walked
up the stairs,
looking for the sky above me
and the bird with restless wings,
but above me all was darkness.
So I walked
up and up.
I looked down only once.
No stairs stretched out behind me.
So I walked up
toward the place
where the sky should have been.