Willow WisdomA Poem by LalliA poetic story, Where I'm taking a rest in the midst of having a toubled day where nothing goes right... then confiding in the old wisdom of a willow tree in a dream.
Willow Wisdom
By: Lalli
It was one of those days when...nothing goes right
When the light from the sun is shadowed by the moon during mid-afternoon by a solar eclipse
No matter how hard I’d try
The only thing I’d find was disappointment
Or upsetting news that would make any day gloom
So I went for a walk to gather my thoughts to cool myself down from feelin’ hot and bothered
Of course I was distracted by my misery and forgot to bring water
A little dehydrated and exhausted
It was time to stop and rest under the willow tree
Time to take a deep breathe and relax with my back against the bark of its trunk
This is when I sunk into the lucid fantasies of my sleep
It was one of those vivid dreams, where all interactions feel like reality
And this…this is when the tree began to speak to me
It said “Young man, as you sit on the grass above my veins
I can feel your energy through my roots
So I wanted to ask you, Why are you so weary?”
Being that I was lost in the surrealism of this dream
It didn’t feel odd that I was about to have a conversation with a willow tree
As I responded by stating, “I appreciate your caring inquisition
But before I share with you my troubles old soul
I hope through the wisdom of your age that you may help me since it’s apparent I’m stuggling this day”
The tree agreed with a calming bristling of its leaves as it waited patiently for me to speak
I began telling the tree,
“I’m tired
Tired of fighting the same battle for years
I’m mentally exhausted and I don’t think my eyes can cry anymore tears
My tear ducts are dry
And so is the mile deep well that tapped into the river of my life
In fact I feel like I fell to its bottom
Now I’m starin through it’s darkness to the sky wonderin’ why I’m so tired
Tired of feeling the burn of lactic acid in my muscles
Tired of being over worked and under paid
And I hope that one day someone will unchain me in the name of liberty from being this modern day work slave
Because I’m tired
Tired of my fears causing pain
Tired of the strain from my heart wrenching when it breaks
With my emotions locked behind a cage desensitizing my feelings keeping myself contained
Hidden away
I’m scared of being vulnerable
Afraid to lose control or whatever false sense of it, I thought I had
I continued by saying, “Tree I appreciate you asking but what I’m sayin’ is,
I’m exasperated
Jaded from always having to be the strengthened support
I'm drained from bearing the weight as the keystone in the center of the arch
Holding it together or it will all fall apart
And I’m just not sure how much longer I can continue being tired
I just wish there was a better way
I wish I could share this with you staring face to face
But I can’t because I’m weak
Weak without enough strength to stand to my feet
So I’m stretching my hand in the air to you now tree
That you will be able to help me stand strong once more”
This is when a serene breeze gently pressed as a finger against my lips to stop talking
As the fingernail of the eclipse disappeared
I then realized that I felt comforted under the cover of its branches
Then a gust of wind blew through parting the leaves like 2 clouds drifting apart in the middle revealing a window to the other side
The tree then asked me if I could see the beauty of what seemed like an enchanted forest lushly green growing up a snow-capped mountain naturally
I answered, “Yes, yes I do and I have to admit my friend it’s absolutely breathe-taking”
I was then asked If I would have enough energy to take a closer look, knowing what is there
I said, “Yes tree, yes I think it would be worth using what little energy I have left”
This is when I realized the enlightening power from the extensive wisdom of the tree as it told me,
“You see my weary friend, before you could not see beyond my shaded fortress
But when the time was right and all the elements synchronized
You were provided a glimpse of what awaits you if you choose to seek it and keep pressing on
If you keep fighting with all your might, then eventually you will get there
As you can see it will not be easy because there’s much distance between here and there
but as you said it would be worth using what little energy you have left
So get up, never give up
You don’t need my help
You just need to have confidence, faith in the natural balance of life
And when you're surrounded by darkness torn in the eerie loneliness of isolation
Remember, that light reflects a rainbow
At the end of the storm.”
After the conversation was concluded with the tree
When I came back to reality Opening my eyes, I no longer felt tired
Actually I felt energized and rejuvenated with a new outlook on my life
So upon reflection of the truth I was told
I've got to say, I couldn’t have agreed with that tree any more
© 2008 LalliFeatured Review
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Added on August 3, 2008Last Updated on August 5, 2008 AuthorLalliPhoenix, AZAboutIt takes one voice, one passion, and one heart to create a positive existence in anothers life Lalli is an awareness/performance poet in Phoenix, AZ with a unique creative use of off-.. more..Writing
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