Discovery

Your first encounter
was a whisper
Mysterious
I called you
and you came

Welcomed as my child
into my very being
not withholding anything
but only giving you
what you were ready to receive

Tenderly I held you
rocked you
pressed you tightly
against my chest
Slowly you grew older
so I took you by the hand
and led you into the forest

Still inside me
we are one
you went into the shadows
Like any good father
I’m right here
beside you
letting you drift off
to explore the meadows
and discover the adventure
I want to take you on
inside you

And then
from the shadows of the forest
you hear a sneering laugh
you look back startled
What’s that?
I’m here, I nudge you
toward the shadows
but only because I know it's time
and you are willing
to enter
and uncover
the things that have been hiding

Your heart beats fast
Your body freezes
Is it really time?
To face the beasts
That have been lurking
So long within the shadows?

I wait. With you.
Calm. Patient.
I’ve got nothing else to do
We can wait here for eternity
But I’m also happy to go with you
Into the shadows

Terrified
You take a breath
Certain this must be the place
That you will die
But still, you go
I’m so very
Proud of you

And we walk into the forest
As the trees thicken and the light darkens
You squint and squeeze my hand
And then, like I had planned
You released it
Stumbling, you couldn’t see
The darkness of the forest
Frightened you

You are stuck
Endlessly
Frozen, you can’t move
How long have you been in darkness?
A month? A year? Ten?
You weep and shout
Why have you been abandoned?

Eventually your eyes adjust
To the darkness
You see me tenderly waiting
Always present
I’ve been here all along
Because you are inside of me
And I you
After all, we are one

You collapse in me
Again I rock you
Tenderly holding you against my chest
My dear child
You are ready
To discover the new things
I want to show you
in the shadows

Your face transforms
No longer fearful
Instead I see solid determination
And I laugh with joy
Look at you
You grew six inches taller
Your head is now held high,
Shoulders back you stand
Suddenly ready
To run into the shadows

We will be here a bit
So I can tell you the story
That is true
About these shadows
And then we will begin
The journey back
To the bright meadows

It is here you will emerge
Stronger and yet somehow more tender
Older yet more like a child
Your eyes will now struggle to adjust to the light
Always stinging just a little
With deeper longing for the others
To enter into their shadows
But as for you and I
We will continue to walk together
Discovering all that is inside you