Recognition
So easily we are sucked in
To rhythm, to culture, to doing
Again and again we try to escape
Those dreaded thoughts I should
It peers, leers from around the hall corner
Of our calm, beige alcoves
And lures us in as dreams, discovery
Snaking around our ankles
Until it catches hold
Dragging us unknowingly to the depths
Of holes we never quite escape
Just when our chins reach the rim
And purity begins its rise
We let go of our reclaiming
The depth of who we really are
In exchange for ambition, adoration
Short-lived achievements and the next
The next, what’s next, yes it’s always next
For what are we if not our doings
Are we anything but a wisp, a breeze
An unfilled chalice
I become as smooth as water
As I gaze into the waving reflection
The continuity of rolling liquid
Explains the repetitive nothingness existing
So frighteningly inside us
A vast vase holding who knows what for what reason
Except for those who can break away from the serpent of season
Conquer the self and end the circle of want and challenge
And enter the peace of it’s done, everlasting satisfaction
The soul need not be searched
It’s already fully present
Waiting for the moment of complete solace
Recognizing that being known is not making renowned a name
Or being drawn to destiny
It’s about the unborn waiting for its first breath
And the death of desire to be anything but breath itself
By Laura E. Garrard, Copyright 2021
Jan. 22, 2021
[Photo above: "Riding Reflection," By Laura E. Garrard, Copyright 2021]
“Lake Reflections 1,” By Laura E. Garrard, Copyright 2021
“Lake Reflections 2,” By Laura E. Garrard, Copyright 2021
I drive in misty times Returning home anew A rainbow parades my presence Stretching from north to south Of our lakeside view Sun from behind perfectly sets the stage A reassuring gesture Wilderness’ way of welcome To this stranger From a place of fresh experience Unknowns abounding Is this really my reality? And yet the ribbon rest assures These are the colors you’ve chosen This You may truly be different Even though the unruly untimely side plot chapter Seems not your probable parent This is still your place of power This vulnerable spot, ever-changing As you watch the weather projecting The lack of control and protection In life, yet it is a type of comfort You within the stillness nature brings So enjoy, playful otter The Thunderbird directs from above And the rainbow spans the distance Between this self and the former, Heaven and the horizon Shining light, perhaps ultimate truth, on clearer water
By Laura E. Garrard, Copyright 2020
Oct. 23, 2020
“Crescent Rainbow” & Above Photo (“Rainbow in Mist”) By Laura E. Garrard, Copyright 2021