The Gothic Arches of the Soul
Beneath a cathedral sky, ribbed vaults of night arise
The soul’s gothic arches stretch, defiant, toward the blackest heights
Each column forged from longing, from all that the world denies
Their stone etched with scars of battles, tremors, and frights
The hollow of darkness cradles ambition’s secret seed
Where shadows threaten and whisper, but never truly succeed
Midnight presses close, draping all in its heavy shroud
Yet the arches stand, archangels of defiance, battered but proud
The world’s weight cannot crush these vaults that aspire
For every blow of fate only tempers the spires
Through the void’s devouring sea, in bleakest silence and gloom
Strength kindles upward, a fire in every tomb
Beneath the stained-glass windows of haunted memory
Resilience flickers, painting color through the dark’s cacophony
Lost souls gather in alcoves, their prayers etched in dust
But the arches press higher, for endurance is a must
They seek no rescue, no dawn’s easy absolution
For the gothic soul is forged in the furnace of resolution
Even as stars hide and specters moan in endless rounds
The arches hold their shape, reaching for forbidden grounds
A symphony of strength and sorrow, each buttress etched in pain
Yet from such crucible, a truer self is gained
Let others fear the vault, or curse the long midnight
Within these arches, the brave discover their own light