Haunted Houses

So I’ve dwelled in this chamber of contentment for far too many years
Must now summon the courage to rise and go and explore
Through the faintly lit corridors, conjuring deep-rooted fears
‘Cause there is no other way to know what is beyond the doors

The very first step may unravel the stasis, in the nature of this plight
But I have not seen any ghosts here tonight

On the double staircase I begin the accent
Towards lesser known parts of the abode
With every new step more difficult to complete
And as I round third and head towards fourth
I start to get claustrophobic and cold
And it’s ever more futile just to raise my feet

I’m suddenly struck by a powerful presence
Of someone I may have once known
But I haven’t seen any ghosts on my own
Though I carry their cumbersome stone

Beyond the Bastille there’s a calm and cordial place
A pleasant urban neighborhood, good polity, words spoke in good faith
While we wait for the joy of the flight
In doing it right, in seeing the light, in justifying the fight
Against the bright and unseeing force of the night

I break on through the summit of fear into freedom, I exhilarate
To the dismay of those ghosts bound by hate
Who can’t aspire just to be great
In our hearts and our minds, there is potential to find
Potential to find that everything true is aligned