2004-02-09 - 10:58 p.m.
My Light
If some day we meet on unknown shores,
There is a journey I would offer to you
Who would know me. From the beach
At night we can see a glow in the East,
A strange light hidden beyond Mountains
And desert. While, I cannot say just what it is,
If you wish, I can show you a path:
Just off this shore and beyond a bright
Garden, brief, yet exquisite to the eye—
As if those fragrant flowers,
Those sweet fruits,
Were just a pleasant mask
To hide what lies beneath—
You will find a cold, desolate wasteland.
If after this discovery,
You wish to venture on,
You may travel that terrain
For many days and nights.
It will be a difficult journey, and
You must come prepared, for
This land is harsh, and it loves none.
Yet traversing this great expanse,
Where naught but brush survives,
You will discover that it is not
A hateful place; there are interesting
Sights here, though they are all
Unreachable; distant and empty
Like mirages among the shifting sands.
Soon though, you would come across
Great crags nestling vaulting cliffs.
This terrain is difficult and perilous
To attempt. Too often, I myself
Have turned away from that place,
Fearing that for all my efforts, only
Another desert would be my reward
But if you know what you seek,
If you believe there may be something
For you to find, there is a safer way,
Though equally uncertain.
A path leads down into the dark abyss,
Deep, to an icy stream flowing from the
Mouth of a gaping cave among the shadows.
This cave is intricate and
Complex, surely to vex and
Confuse all who enter. Some
Ways are hidden, and others
Seem to change as you retrace
Your steps. But there are signs to
Mark the way, if you look carefully.
On the far walls, you might descry
Strange facts, like glimmers of
Reflected light. Occasionally vague
Feelings scurry across your path in
That blackness. Don’t be frightened;
Follow them, if you are able.
And pass through this maze of thought.
Soon there are new ideas here. At first
They will be mere lichen clinging to
Damp rocks. In brighter spots, small,
Exotic plants have made this cave home.
Though feeble in the dark, they are
True and natural in growth, unlike
Their external counterparts.
Keep traveling where these are
Most numerous and
You will find the opening to the
Other side. You will emerge in a
Tangled wood. From there, you
Will know your destination, the light
Is straight ahead, but the path is still far.
The place you are in is constant, a jungle,
All the way to that light, yet on either side
The scene is different. On your left, tall grasses
Of the savannah, and then a wide river. The
Right holds marsh and then a bog. Beyond
These lie even others, all in great strips like
Rays of light, joining as one in the distance.
Though the light is what you seek,
Approaching it directly is like
Staring at the sun, and its beauty
Will blind you, leaving no other
Sight. Instead come to it slowly.
Travel through the shifts of the
Land, and experience its variety.
Do not keep to one path for long,
For we all have boundaries that
No traveler must cross. There are
Lands to the North and South,
Where beings beyond human,
Or perhaps not even human,
Dwell among only their kind.
In endless plains of snow and ice,
Children play watched by angels.
Ignorant of the outside world, they
Frolic blissfully through the frozen
Fields too innocent even, to feel the
Frost biting at their uncovered toes,
But your tainted soul feels the cold.
And to the South live men and
Women of the most unsavory type.
They walk on coals and are plagued
By disease and carrion. Surely, this
Place welcomes all without judgment,
And while the people beckon with
Shouts of glee, few are enticed
By such invitations.
Stay clear of these places,
They are not meant for people
Such as you and I. Always continue
Moving toward the light, but double
Back when the extremities are near.
Keep to this and you may reach your
Goal, though not the one you thought.
The closer to the light you are,
The slower you travel, for the
Light is ever brighter, and with
Tall trees, deep valleys, unusual
Beasts and colorful Birds, winds
Thick with the music of life—
The scene is ever more interesting.
You will travel like this, until one day
You stop. You look to the light and
Realize the truth; it is not your light. And
Then looking around, feelings the warmth
Shining so near, you will understand that
This has always been your destination,
And you will be content here.
