At the edge of the longest day
I gathered drops of sunlight into a bottle
Secured it with cord and hung it at my throat
Warmth and light illuminated my path
Freeing me to see that I did not only hold the light
I was the light and the light was me
As I journeyed through the crossroads
I shed the darkness I had allowed to consume me
Abandoned it like a wool cloak on Midsummer day
Moved forward ensconced in my own powerful light
Willing into truth I'd never be dimmed again

I exited the crossroads
The weight of unworthiness falling away behind me
I salted the path as I walked 
Erecting a barrier against old demons who might follow
I reminded myself that joy cannot grow in poisoned soil
I vowed to never return to this infertile place
Gnarled roots and sharp thorns grabbed at me
Tried to hold me in that familiar barren land
I would no longer be held
My light became a glowing blade of will
And I rended myself free of the patterns of my past
Leaving them as sacrifices at the edge of this intersection
Of my old life and new

I followed the road's gentle path through new lands
When I came to a willow by a stream
Raw, ravaged and weary
I sat beneath its shaded canopy and allowed myself to rest
I wrapped myself in the cool, green safety beneath its branches
I put down my burdens
I rinsed my wounds
Lulled into meditation by the whispering water
I allowed myself to feel peace in place of vigilance
I listened to the birds above me
The crickets around me
I allowed myself to be present
I allowed myself to feel
The dappled light on my skin
The kisses of the sweet breeze on my cheeks
The cool, damp grass beneath me
The steady, gentle beat of my heart
The slow rhythm of my breathing

In that tranquil place
Of healing
Of new beginning
Of rebalancing
In that moment where I was
Obligated to no one by myself
In that space where I remembered how simple joy can be
I cupped the bottle of sunlight to my chest
And knew I'd never fear the shadows again


-gws