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 and

day 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.