Castle in the Air

The castle stands majestically,
Its imposing edifice decorated
Fantastically
With carvings and jewels.
There is a great garden pool.
In it the clearest water
Forms a sheet of glass—
Cool
As the first breezes of winter.
In the gardens beyond, there grows
The richest fruit,
The sweetest fruit.
The weather presages
Endless hours of joy,
Of happiness, of warmth.
The wind whispers about
Success,
And promises it to one and all.
The gray stone walls of the castle
Protect the dreams housed in it,
The dreams of many a dreamer,
Who dared to dream,
To let loose that stream
Of virgin thought,
And build out of it an entire castle,
Its gray stone walls
Promising victory,
Prosperity,
And liberty
To all who see them.

But one day,
An ambitious soul arrives,
And settles down in the Castle,
The Castle that was fabled to make
Dreams come true
At the price of a dream.
But alas!
He dreamed too soon!
The castle crumbles to dust,
And with it crumbles the ambitious soul.
The gardens and the pool all fade from there.
The sun turns its back without a care.
The dreams that linger all do tear.
Why, behold!
The castle itself was built on air.