Death's Last Dance

• Jessica Hayward, Grade 8
• Poetry
• 2014

My footsteps echoed through the dark alleyway,
The desperate sound chasing the last light of day,
I felt the cold wind twist and tangle my hair,
Breath turned to mist in the darkening air,
The icy fingers grabbing my throat,
And dragging me down like lead weight in moat,
I held onto my warmth and kept soldiering on,
"Keep going Celeste, your journey's near done",
One step from the grave, my feet wouldn't work,
The fog swirled around me; the cold seemed to smirk,
Just a fine border between life and death,
My thin figure shuddered, and I took my last breath,
I looked at the stars, twinkling in the night,
And let the darkness extinguish my light.