The Phoenix Cycle

Born of light in a darker age
When men howled at the moon in fear
Nourished by a spark of hope
In the ashes of despair

You awoke as the sun's last ray
Shattered the egg that protected you
Rising high on a plume of smoke
You spread your wings and flew

Fly, fly, Phoenix!
Into the dark of night
The world has need of your magic
Wonderful and bright

As you grew in your power
Took to the sky like a shooting star
You lighted the path that men walked on
They saw the glow from afar

Then they looked up in wonder
Fear of the night for a moment gone
They thought you might be a dragon
Until they heard your song

Fly, fly, Phoenix!
Borne on the winds of change
The world has need of your magic
Wonderful and strange

As the dawning sun rose high
You sang with a passion they never knew
The light that had been gone for so long
Cast its love on you

Rising into the clear blue sky
Seeking the light that gave you birth
You touched the fire of the heavens
And brought it back to Earth

Fly high, Phoenix!
Where no one else would dare
The world has need of your magic
Wonderful and rare

Men didn't know what you gave them
Some day you knew they would use it well
And tales would be told of the fire bird
That touched the sky and fell

With the last rays of evening
You knew that your work on Earth was done
You followed those last rays skyward
To the greater light beyond

Fly, fly, Phoenix!
Into the endless night
All worlds have need of your magic
Beautiful and bright

Charlie Kellner
June 6, 1990