Part 2 – Chapter 7 – “The Proven Life”
Surrounded by blue,
Narrow path
Look back over my shoulder
Home no more, fading into the distance
A mirage fuzzy, fading with time
Gone into the misty afternoon
No going back
I have no reason
Not today
Not tomorrow
Maybe someday,
When times have changed
Brought about a brave new world
I watch the footsteps I plant beneath me
Aware of the tracks I leave
Others may follow, may find
Cloaked and dragging,
The wind swirling hair into my
Scruffy, black covered face
I am journeying to another land
How many miles I don’t know
Not sure what this place will be
But dreams,
No nightmares,
Have shown me this place
A path etched into my mind,
There every time my eyes open
Every time I sleep
I cannot forget
No matter how much I consume
Briskly walking,
Eyes to the ground,
I follow my instincts
Mind begins to wander
Sun setting directly ahead
Radiant orange hues,
Vivid purples
Spanning forever across the horizon
Tall sturdy oak trees to the North
Swift, crystal clear meandering river to the South
Weeks pass
I pause,
Feel my way to a tree,
To support me,
My back against
Months pass
My eyes fixed to the East
And the awesome display
A kaleidoscope of images,
Colors, shapes, sounds
My eyes, pain
Vision getting narrow
Dreams, people swimming, a marble path, high into the Heavens…
I am standing before a great throne,
Laced with gold and platinum
On either side is a grand vase
Brilliant green leaves growing forth, onto the floor
Exquisite thorned peach roses
Purple lilacs
Behind the throne
An immense mural
An ancient battle
White to one side
Black to the other
A calming,
Bearded figure towards the top
Radiantly making His presence known
I feel cold
My teeth chattering, no more
Making motions, no sound
Everything still
Like a padded room to keep me safe
I don’t hear my own breathing
Not sure if I’m still alive…
Drip, Drip
Light rain drops hitting my face,
Extricating my dreams, the palace, from my mind
I awaken,
Slightly dazed,
Wipe the moisture away
Abandoned by my guide
The sun has left me to the other side of the world
I rise quickly,
Glance around,
See if others are present
In a panic
I scream “Joline!”
My cries echoing through the forest
Met with emptiness
Breathing, pulse quickening,
My palms dripping
My heart is beating like wings of a hummingbird
I believe this is the time,
The colors in my mind,
The dreams I have been having
In a moment,
I remove my katana from its sheath
With both hands on the handle
I position the razor point underneath my ribs on the right
Holding steady,
I raise my head to the sky,
Eyes as wide as can be,
Gorgeous white dots surrounding me
Shining, fading in the black void, shimmering
Connect the dots, a collage
Color by numbers
The harvest moon lighting the fields
Many figures huddled over,
Taking advantage
Clear, bright evening
Bringing forth birth from Death
By the harvest moon
Fields taking in sustenance
A family to feed
Young mouths from mother’s breast
To golden wheat
Orion looking down, smirking
I close my eyes,
Grasp the handle with remaining strength
One last image of Joline
Thrust the sword into my aching body
It falls from my hands ever so slowly, time crawling
Hands burn from red
I slump over,
My head hitting the ground,
Facing the swift river
A gondola making its way East
A head turns toward me,
A white figure, glowing
So soft
So Angelic
Joline
I try to move a hand,
Point to her
Gain her attention
My arm goes limp,
Falls flatly to the ground