Completely lowercase—it creates a really nice effect, I must say. I first saw it being used in within winter's grace's poem, Angel of Life (that's a Pokemon fanfic, by the way). Hope you like this piece. It took really little effort, and I must say that I'm pleased by how it came out, considering how easy it was.
For Milloniare's fanfic challenge, part 1.
. counting the seconds away .
the frozen starlight gleams off his face
unsmiling and expressionless
as he counts the seconds to the end of the world
-
a sole spirit of the past unremembered
forced into ancient wood to last another eternity
to keep time's strict measure
a metronome without its own accord
incapable of changing its own rhythm
-
how long he has stood, weathering the course of time
more tiring than the grinding of stone or wind
slowly, slowly smoothing the wooden eaves, the windows
till the cogs, hands and pendulum shine clear and dark
coal dark
-
even amidst misty ghostly starshine
he grows darker
dark with anger, wishes for real light, but feeling only
false starlight
a spirit trapped in wood, beating
a close heartbeat that
isn't even his own
-
how long more? is his silent cry andday and night and in between
as long as he lingers in an unreal world
made by unreal, metal hands in an unreal era
he continues to count the seconds to the end of time
the seconds to the moment he can finally be freed from his bonds.
-
till then, he shall wait, silent
brooding, counting time like grains of sand
holding to his one last liing gift
a residue from his true, once-sentient soul—
-
hope.
hope for his final, lasting salvation,
when all else falls away to nothing
a stumbling, murmuring eternity away.
