Are You There?

Strolling along the wooded path alone

Whispered sounds circulate the gentle air

Descending from the leaves of the ever protective trees

Mixing with the lullaby of the flowing stream

The dimmed sunlight begins to hint of a coming sunset

The sun itself flickering through the trees in secret code

Its golden light luminating the trunks in a magical glow

Marking the path with contrasting shadows

Looking back for one more relishing moment

The dreamy beauty of it all inspires a longing sigh

Dreams of more moments as beautiful as this

And the forgetfulness of past dark memories

In all this inspiration, the heart cries out from its depths

God, are you there?

It came sudden with an unexpected strength

Yet as gentle as the breeze caressing the face

Always.

As bright as the flickering sun, a surge of love

It was as if a friend came to join me

Continuing the walk, silent whispers of hope and encouragement

Messages encircling around with reminders of awareness

And the flowing rush of love that filled my ears and heart

As the gentle disappearance of the sunlight progressed

So disappeared the dark memories of the past

And though a period of darkness arose

So did the hope and anticipation of a new bright day to come

Comments:

I enjoy walking, and even though I could do it anywhere, it's preferable in a place where it can be just me and nature. I'm fortunate enough that I have some places close enough to me where I can do that and still feel a little safe. I discovered long ago how walks really help ease my mind. There were plenty of times when I would have a difficult and stressful day, perhaps even struggling with some negative emotions, and walks seemed to be my therapy. I wouldn't feel too great at the beginning, but somewhere along the way that feeling took a dramatic turn and suddenly I was feeling upbeat and happy again. Nearly every time, if not every time, that happened. It clears my mind and suddenly I can see the beauty in everything again.

Walking also can provide me some much needed personal reflection time. As I enjoy the beautiful things surrounding me, my mind is free to think about anything and as deeply as I want. It's on one such walk that I received the inspiration to this poem. It was a beautiful moment and I nearly forgot about it until I was thinking today about doing a little self reflection. This popped up in my mind and hit me strongly enough that I felt I needed to write it down before it left. I'm sure a lot of people within the past year or so have asked this question at some point, and I'm sharing the message I received, because I'm quite certain it's the same one for everyone, whether or not it feels like it.

Witnessing the beginning of a new day at the location that inspired this story.