Afterlife
You built your lonely castle in the dark,
crafted in complete silence,
as you patiently labored
a lifetime’s work in anonymity.
You aged gracefully,
letting time encroach,
carve its scaffolds on your fortress.
Until one day,
Long after you died,
your castle was thrusted out into the spotlight,
washed up by accident on Instagram,
and you became a sensation.
Posthumously fossilized,
you entered a new silence:
the controlled atmosphere chamber
at the natural history museum:
Where millions can admire your work,
and think that they know you,
as they,
in turn,
try to construct their own castles.
George is an author, researcher, podcaster, chemist, molecular biologist and food scientist. You can follow him on Twitter @99blackbaloons , listen to his Spotify podcast George reads George, join his mailing list, or enjoy his books
