Stop Sign at the Edge of the Universe - A Poem

Stop Sign at the Edge of the Universe
Jeremy L. Smith

I was traveling normally when halted abruptly
The stop sign said stop, so I braked slowly
I peered up ahead, and what did I see?
Nothingness ahead, Nothingness you see

Was this the end, or only the start?
It wasn’t expected, it tweren’t on the chart
I had no idea, I had not a clue
But hey what the heck, this wasn’t new

I thought to myself, that it seemed a bit odd
“It don’t make sense,” I smartly guffawed
I pondered and pondered, and thoughts filled my head
It was a tad strange; that sign that was Red

The questions were many, the answers were few
Who put it up…could it be You?
Now let’s get real, it surely can’t be
I don’t believe it, no not me

So why was it here, why did I care?
Who put it up, and who put it there?
The question was valid, the meaning unknown
C’mon someone, throw me a bone

Now after a pause and a nice little nap
I fired her up, my trusty spacecraft
She sputtered and purred and trembled a bit
A loud growling noise, did she emit

About to go home, about to move on
My mind was blank, nothing was wrong
And slowly it came, yes slowly it did
My heart skipped a beat, my brain was outdid

Aha, it made sense! I now know the riddle
This was the place, the place in the Middle
It wasn’t the end, no definitely not
It twere just the start, the start of the Plot

I dropped it in First, my trusty space ship
My hands wrapped tightly, wheel in the grip
Oh what was ahead, what was in store?
I knew yes I knew, there was definitely More

My Questions were answered, the meanings revealed
Truth is now known, my daftness repealed
The sign that was Red, that octagon alert
It’s there just to stop, to stop the Inert

Author Note: This Poem was published in Aug 2003 in WriterMonthly.us. I've reposted it here.