here, at last

what I know of now
is that no ripple
roughs the stillness,
stirs old echoes
loud and clear;
no darkness roams
the deep corners
of my mind,
or slides its fingers
through my soul;
and no void cries out
to be filled

so I ask the light,
is this happiness?
can it simply be
absence of despair,
doubt unflinching,
that crosses all
borders, covering
miles upon miles,
spreading wide
in each direction
til there is nowhere
left to go?

if only for a moment
I know it’s name,
feel such grace alive,
then let me–
trusting, walking here
savoring all,
yet taking nothing
for granted,
grateful and humble,
having waited
a whole lifetime
for this wonder

I feel very much as if I’ve traveled from one uncharted wilderness into another lately, a stranger in very strange lands. People are telling me how much different, better, I look, how much lighter, like a newcomer in my own skin. I guess that is a good thing. But it makes me wonder what exactly I looked like to them before. This poem is about the place I’ve entered, feeling like for the first time in my life. Even if it’s only in passing (as most things are) at least I know now I will recognize it when I see it again.

If you liked this poem, please read through my poetry collection. You can also purchase my book, Gone to Ground: Selected Poems & Essays, available on Amazon.com or through your local bookstore.