PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

Look inward,

learn to seek out those paths of old, formerly heavily trodden:

mental cartography of the finest details,

surveying the lands of our former selves,

attempting to discover the turn which led into the dank forests,

those which lured the bewildered--yet willing--seekers deeper within.

Within these topographical layouts, there lies wisdom,

for knowledge of oneself is the saving grace for a soul such as mine;

buried away in forgotten hovels,

veins of precious mineral memories twist and snake through the landscape,

each hidden pocket concealing nuggets of our purest truths.

Though we may have fled the forest long ago,

desires for self-enrichment draw us back,

a seemingly selfish outward example of our inner commitment,

but does not self-seeking take on differing forms dependent upon motives?

Unearthing the past to improve upon the present for the benefit of the future--

could such a noble idea be vain and ego-centric, tainted with poisonous self-importance?

Our energies are eternal, divine yet immaterial;

in this human experience, such darker instincts could be allowed to rule the day,

the push for dominion around our immediate brethren inflating narcissistic delusions,

breeding contempt for those who seemingly refuse to adhere to rampant willpower,

divorcing us from the innate harmony of our shared existence.

Therein lies the question one must answer before undertaking this task,

the truth of which determines the course of action and ultimate outcome:

are the motives pure, is such enrichment for the benefit of Self with regard to others?

These paths hold many horrors along them,

each encounter with such serving to make every next step warier and warier still.

Willingness can see us through to the prize, a cloak to conceal us from the demoralizing gazes,

but such determination is for naught without the presence (and practice) of honesty,

for a cloak may hide our flesh but thin garments cannot shield us from penetrating cold steel.

The terrors we encounter along the paths we had forged ourselves in days past,

birthed from our careless experiences, and nurtured strong by despairing self-pity,

lie in ambush, awaiting our return to spring forth their trap and return us to the fold of the damned.

It is here our mettle shall be tested without pity nor mercy,

assailed by an enemy well-versed in our weaknesses and vulnerability,

one of our own makings, seeking to exploit any opening, striking in hopes of a kill.

Did we remember our own weaponry, those small defensive items contained within our recently gifted toolkit?

Armed with knowledge and emboldened by sincere humble desire,

will it be enough to withstand, resist, even overcome the foe lashing at our fortitude,

roaring and chipping away in hopes of landing a disabling blow to enable the coup de grace?

Ah, but that one word just now, the one which sings to us a rallying cry through the air;

it sparks realization within that not all is lost, nor are we outmatched,

for our journey which hath returned us here has bestowed us with the knowledge necessary to carry on--

Hope springs forth, illuminating our ugly truths, condemning them to the dust of accepted acknowledgment.

Acceptance gives way to renewed stamina; the journey can continue,

the silhouettes of our formerly undefeatable foes growing dimmer on the ground behind us.

Taken down, a new vitality is felt to surge through our veins,

rushing carefree along dopamine tidal waves to deliver us into a newfound freedom.

The way to the forsaken mines opens up before us,

our steps becoming ever more confident as they march ever closer to our sought-after wealth;

such clarity of mind has been elusive until these present moments,

yet a general wariness persists, as though unseen spiteful eyes burn holes into our backs.

Examination reveals not the former master behind such feelings, for fear has left us;

in its stead now sits mindful determination atop the bloodied throne recently vacated,

calling forth the actions necessary to render us circumspect and prepared for future conflict.

This struggle through the darkness along our formerly favored paths has been arduous,

fraught with memories which set our knees to buckling when faced alone,

yet, aided through by the God on high within, we now stride into the caverns containing our storied treasures.

Our enrichment comes with a stipulation, one which grows in urgency as we begin our mining,

filling our once empty sacks as we discover more than we originally believed to be within the ores:

we can take these treasures, cherish them, but they are no more ours to keep than the stars in the cosmos,

the beauty and knowledge within is just as much for us as the next soul;

as such, the fruits of our labors are to be distributed among those left behind from whence we came,

departing with a prayer from our minds into that of our kindred spirits,

that they may serve as flint and steel atop their straw prisons,

setting alight the embers of hope and encouragement for their own journeys to begin.

Faith without works is dead; press on, and their salvations shall reinforce your own.