prince of peace

the king was of the nature of great unrest
he ruled the land with a sharp tongue
and authoritative hand
yet he was very afraid inside as the world may swallow
him up sometime and spit him out
this would show him up to be weak and not sturdy
at all...
he slept uneasy with a light on
and needed a drink of brandy most days just to get through
he kept his monies locked up in a big chest
that was put away with guards all about
ordered to watch over it day and night..
he wondered sometimes what it would be like to be
ordinary..
then, he thought he could take walks by the ocean
and shop at the market stalls or chat with a friend at a coffee house
no, he said inside.. i will not entertain this kind of thing
for i am so much of a one in power...
not meant for the ways of ordinary life...
i will not think of this anymore..
he laid his head on the royal pillow one night and set himself
in a deep dream that called him to come into himself
and reside as a true prince of peace and light
he was not sure what to make of this in the morning ..
he found himself pondering which one (if either) were real
this living as being a king
or this dream of being at peace..
he chose to put this odd question out of his mind as he
had more important things to do
like settling the wars of the land and the financial troubles with the workers
and so very, very much to take care of ...
still he found himself questioning himself about his true identity..
was he such a great thing, when this world he feels he knows
when awake is completely obliterated every night in the time of sleep
....and then another world enters in it seems ...
oh what hogwash... i am a king.. strong and sturdy, undaunted and
with great power and command of the land and seas...
what weakness to question this..
and he went on this way .. going about his tasks and puffing himself up
inside as if this role he played was the center of all
and that he was oh so very important to the running of the universe..
time went on and his form as all forms do, grew older and gathered aches and ailments
this worried him as he knew that someday, there would come a time when
he could not carry out his tasks with ease or strength of body and mind..
and he went back again to pondering the shifting nature of the world
and mind ...
why in heavens name am i thinking about this nonsense again...
i am to set myself right in mind and steady within this kingly air that i am
he tried very hard to summon up the inner strength that was there so easily before
and could not ..
this was quite a thing, thought he .. i cannot find myself the same way as before..
i have lost a bit of strength to regain my character and way of telling myself inside
that i am so high and mighty ...
he sank down in his chair and rested the weariness within
in so doing he felt a bit of ease as he no longer fought to keep hold of this person
he had created ..
he let it go for a moment and it was here that he found a small episode of peace..
though oh so brief and fleeting, he felt it and it brought a smile to his face for a minute..
then he got up and walked to the grand window
and surveyed the land below...
he leaned his hand up against the window frame and watched with a calm eye
the comings and goings of the world for quite some time...
his mind quietly observing ...
then he let out a great sigh and walked out into the kingly quarters to go about
his business for the day...