The Choice
Long ago, I left the safety of the water,
fell deaf to the wisdom of my father,
discarded the sweet kisses of my lover,
and turned away from the comradeship of my brother
To wade and search upon life's murky shorelines,
called to by hawkers with neon flashing billboard signs,
drawn to their gaudy veiled booths full of choices,
intrigued by the sound of their brash laughter and noisy too loud voices
I have indeed begged there at those merchant stalls,
taken in by the sound of those hollow calls,
for a drop of love,
to fill my empty heart
for a crumb of truth
some intangible sustenance
to satisfy
the hunger of
my starving soul
And I received,
and often believed,
their plastic promises
spoken with sarcastic false omnipotence
I did drink of the bitter "healing" potions,
disguise myself in their perfumed lotions,
and I was ever as empty
as I was before
Until, I felt the softest lulling,
of a gently river calling
the invitation
whispered invocation
to know
of what lay behind my breath
the power of this beating heart within my breast
I fell into the dampness of its love filled currents
felt them flowing 'round me
moving thru me
coming from me
the might
the height
of their massive breaking waves of joy
and it was...like that,
without a look back
I left the emptiness of that shore
and prayed to see it nevermore
For the river pulled me closer,
pulled me within itself ....deeper
as if to answer my desire with its own need
to hold my heart...my soul....indeed
with its peaceful flowing deliberation,
and infinitely patient concentration
it made its way, carrying me
into the great arms of this loving sea
