12 Echoes

Write a poem of twelve lines about whatever you want; each line must end with one of the following words: “down,” “accept,” “on” “life,” “light,” “flowerless,” “pulses,” “us,” “sun,” “heights,” “shrivel,” “little.” You may use the words in any order. Give the poem a title.

On Delicate Wings

I cannot dream without an audience of flowerless
eyes; hollow, empty, abandoned by light.

I cannot say their countenance haunts us,
so still, so stagnant. They stare, and I shrivel.

I have surrendered aspirations to attaining those heights,
as Icarus and even Daedalus learned to accept
the bindings of fate and misfortune drag dreams down.
Yet, falling meant reaching and drowning meant life.

the sun
pulses
little,
and my wax melts on.

I would like to recognize Prof. J. Bobrick for assigning a similar challenge during my undergraduate education and providing the twelve words used above.