What if
at the center of the labyrinth
you found only
a little boy, frightened,
frail as a moth’s wing?
How could such a creature
survive the world’s crude play,
the knife in the eye
of the stranger?
No one knows how hard
the casing of a seed
or the true meaning of
of a snail’s intricate shell.
If something must be endured
we want to believe it can be
but that’s not the point.
The point is the boy deep inside
the circle at the center
of the storm of stars.
The point is what surrounds him,
the winding and unwinding way
he walked the courses and
the love he now feels
that does not come
from any others, whoever they are
or might be.
It just comes
out of the wind singing
above the waves
this love, this rare courage
that has no home
but him.
What if
at the center of the self
there is nothing
but love, a great love for being?
Would that be enough
to hold you to the path
that runs any day across the cliffs
while the waves
break and break and break
so far beneath you?
Love you Dan for posting this! I pray daily to recover and make amends for all of the destruction I’ve caused my dearest friends. I miss you and Carmen terribly. Of course LeeAnn . God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Love must shine through the darkness
Dear Bill~
What a difficult time, and for sure that serenity prayer you mentioned is the perfect guide. Man, the pain is incredible and leaves us all speechless. Carmen and I can only send you our love — we have great faith that you will get through this, Bill. It will take time, for sure, but the new reality will come, the new man with his greatness and gifts intact is there and will re-emerge in new and amazing forms. Can’t force it, of course; it can only be invited. A lot of waiting is involved; that’s all I know about reincarnation.
I think it’s especially tough when tragic things strike and we are left to bear not only the pain of so much loss but also the sense of responsibility. The guilt is a weight, and who knows why the weight is there to carry except to take us that much deeper into ourselves, teaching us to love others and ourselves in ways we never imagined possible.
You have music in you, Bill. All the music in the world.
What if
at the center of the self
there is nothing
but love, a great love for being?
Would that be enough
to hold you to the path
that runs any day across the cliffs
while the waves
break and break and break
so far beneath you?
Love
Dan