The Many Doors

She entered the hallway and there were the doors.
Five of them and which to choose.

From the first door emanated an aroma of freshly baked bread, of soup and peach pie.
She reached for door knob but for some reason she couldn't seem to grasp it.
This frightened her so she passed it by.

The second door was recessed into the wall, and throbbed with the pulse of the
loud loud music behind it.  Herb-ed smoke wafted out from every crack.
She passed it by.

The third door was silent and grey, a thin mist snuck out from underneath and
 she moved away quickly sticken with apprehension.

The fourth door hummed with many voices, some unkind and violent.
 She paused, considering, but then moved on.

The fifth door, the final door.  It was quiet, but not deathly so.  It seemed to contain a presence that drew her.  The knob was cut glass, old fashioned.  She approached it cautiously.
It seemed to fit her palm perfectly.

She opened the door.

*****************************

Sunken Treasure

I escaped long ago but now I'm going back to the ship.

The sunken ship, the one you can see glimmering under the water near the end of the pier.





I went back to try and extract what treasures I could, holding my breath while I dove deep, deeper.

The water was murky and cold, so cold.

Everything seemed to be fastened very securely to every surface, I could not pry off even one thing.

I tried! I did.

My hands cramping, nails bloody.

So I floated up and lay on my back, staring up into the dark universe.

I didn't want to go back.  But I felt so sad thinking about all my treasures so lonely and forgotten under the waves.


Could I just forget it all and leave it to the mussels?


Or should I dive again, maybe to never return?





So I tied a sturdy rope to my waist and held my breath again.


Down, down, down.

Every time I dive, I wonder if I'll ever return.


And if I do, will it have to be empty handed?


Go out to the end of the pier some time,
look down and tell me if you see the ship.


Am I there too? Holding tight to the mast, so scared
to let my treasures go?

There is only the endless sea and all of it's mysteries.

*************************

.