National Poetry Month Day 17: Parallel

So for Day 17 I have the prompt, parallel. I started out attempting a ghazal, but ended up with something interesting but not quite a ghazal (I screwed up the rules a bit as I was writing). But I liked it, so here it is.

Image by Quang Nguyen vinh from Pixabay 

Parallel

The axis of the world shifts in fading light
with parallels of what if and invading night

Along the river come ghosts of forgotten sins
other selves whispering words of abrading spite

Lives that could have been, and roads mislaid
within the mists of lore, of crusading might

Trees sway to a rhythm of the unobserved,
music soft and a sweetly persuading plight

The axis of Death shifts in the fading light
The dreams of men expire in pervading fright

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