Twisting

Twisting and turning through the depths of the unknown, I am off the map. The places I go and the routes I take are mysteries to those around me. They all stand dumbfounded, unable to change my course. They are like the trees along the path that interject, but never interrupt my focus on the ultimate destination: the meadow in the middle of the forest, a spring in the midst of desolation, a hope surrounded by pain and anguish. That’s where I’m headed. That meadow is hidden behind underbrush filled with lies and deception. My body is covered with scars from pushing through these thorn filled bushes. I will never be the same, for each cut slits so much deeper than the surface of the skin. These thorns penetrate straight to the heart and I’m forever changed. Each penetration affects my journey. Some slow me down, but no wound will ever be deep enough to stop me. Through thistles and weeds, I will be strong. Though snakes and other vicious creatures in this wood will attack me, I must prevail. For the meadow in the middle of this mess is the most peaceful place on earth. In this meadow, nothing else matters. Not all the wounds received, the bites that still show, or the times I strayed from the trail. Once my feet enter that place, my soul will be renewed. I will again be changed, except this time for the better. My wounds will heal and the thorns and snakes will never hurt me again. The boundaries of this place are impenetrable by anything evil. This is the place where the Tree of Happiness grows. One can leave, but once you set foot in the Dark Forest again, you will immediately turn back. Because no place is as beautiful as this and even through all the hardships of the wood, one must continue to the meadow.

Kristy Kienzle