Show Me the Way
Walking down the path,
Led by an iron rod
My body is shaking in fear.
The world is suddenly dark
As if my eyes had lost all their sight,
Not a single hint of light before me.
My ears can hear voices:
Calling
Begging
Pleading
Demanding.
I am being touched
By desperate hands,
Grabbing and pulling,
Trying to drag me off
With such strength that my own hands
Struggle to keep hold
To my only source of hope
This rod that I can only feel.
Should I lose my grip
All will be lost.
In this miserable darkness
I must cling for dear life,
For this rod beside me
Is my only guide,
My only strength.
Please, show me the way,
That I may partake
And return to Light and Love.
Rebecca Anne Weight February 10, 2013
Commentary:
For those who are unfamiliar with the contents of The Book of Mormon, there is a story inside that is dear to the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that they refer to as, "The Vision of the Tree of Life," or simply put, "Nephi's Vision." It is a detailed description of the vision the prophet Nephi had after inquiring of a vision his father Lehi had, and he was shown the same vision. In the vision was, of course, the Tree of Life, but also included mists of darkness, a building without a foundation, waters, fields, a pathway, and an iron rod. This particular poem is based off of that story, so it may have a little more meaning to those who are familiar with the story, but at the same time it shares a message that speaks to anyone.
For anyone interested, this vision is told in The Book of Mormon 1 Nephi chapter 11. This is one of the ways I imagined it. The description doesn't speak about the difficulties those walking along the way face, but I always felt that there were places where there was a true battle for the soul going on. It seemed appropriate to imagine places where it is so dark that the only thing dependable would be that rod of iron. Not even the pathway would be visible, so the rod was vital to keeping the individual heading the right direction. The lack of vision could cause spatial disorientation, causing much confusion, and without the rod for guidance, it would be easy to get lost, and it would be easy to trip over something in the way and lose grip if the hold wasn't strong enough. Seemed to make sense to me anyway.
