Friday, July 8, 2016

On the Edge of Reality

Sometimes I have to talk myself down
From the edge of a cliff
Where I stand, frozen, believing the rim will break
And I will fall
My heart pounds and my fingers grow very cold
In anticipation
I hear the wolves behind me, screaming and taunting me
Telling me there is nowhere left to turn
I see only the insignificant and failed attempts to get away
Which brought me to this cliff
I can't breath, my body is numb, my mind flipping in circles
Useless and unhelpful
Often it is a combination of others and my heart
That get me to step back
Recognizing that the cliff I see and feel in my mind
Isn't actually really there
That the howling I hear is actually coming from within me
Not from another creature
The first step is to back off the ledge, slowly, carefully,
One step at a time
To take a deep breath, calm my mind, feel my feet
On solid ground
To warm my body, others share their strength and love with me
Gently bringing me back to life
Then they help me to find strength and love within myself
For it is there, even when I can't see it