Mid-essence

This poem was written in a van travelling from Bonampak to Palenque in the Spring of 2005.

Bonampak, Chiapas

Larry and I were in a group of 7 people from different parts of North America. It dawned on me that we were all of similar ages, doing what many others only dream of doing – travelling the world after long careers, families, etc. Some are held back in life, but only by their self-imposed limitations. Since that time we have come to meet hundreds of folks in mid-essence who dared to dream…

Mid-essence

For some unknown reason,

We approach the mid-point

In our lives,

And come late to the realization

That the goals of youth, however modest,

Were never attained – dreams unfulfilled.

The years just slipped by,

Children grew and left ‘the nest’.

Careers faded; eyesight dimmed;

The colour of our hair changed to white.

Not too late, nor yet too old,

We set out in search of our real selves,

Unmasked,

And discovered a world of others,

Not unlike ourselves –

In mid-essence.

On top of mountains,

Sailing the seven seas,

Traversing deserts,

Climbing ancient ruins,

Reflecting.

They are all us –

Taking one last journey,

And perhaps another, and another,

With new dreams

Of what can yet be.

Faith

Faith

Faith…

Is resident,

When you allow your heart

To ascend to the highest cliff,

At which point it looks out

Over the vast panorama of life.

It can only wonder

What is beyond,

For it perceives

Only the moment.

There is no going back

To the past.

The future is yet to be written.

Tentatively it places one foot

In front of the other.

One false step,

Can result in a loss of footing,

Setting in motion,

A long fall to the valley below.

But in that fall, that trajectory, that spiral,

Hopefully,

Someone will reach out and grab it,

Enabling it once again

To climb upwards

And onwards,

And, that is faith.