I entered this new world abruptly, thrown into a relentless river – fast flowing, torrential
rapids. I tried to keep afloat, grabbing
rocks and branches, anything to keep my head above water. But I kept getting swept further and further
downstream. Dragged down from below and
pushed from above.
I continued down
this river for most of Friday. Sometimes
able to gasp some breaths of air, mostly being smothered by the water, dragged
further under and away from the surface. Away from life…
On Saturday
morning I reached the sea. I saw no
surface of this sea, only the dark murky depths of the ocean. I sank lower and lower into its depths. It was welcome relief when I finally reached
the bottom.
On Saturday
evening some magical force entered the ocean and caught me in its wake. It helped guide me to the surface of the
ocean and the pushed me along to the sea-shores.
On Monday I
dragged my aching body from the ocean and took my first steps onto dry
land. I started walking along the
beaches.
On Tuesday I
started running. Running across the
great deserts, the grass plains and through the forests and the moor lands.
On Wednesday I
took to the sky. I spread my wings and
flew. I flew over the grasslands that I
had run on, over the beaches that I had walked upon. I flew over the ocean that had once held me
captive at the bottom, and over the raging, torrential river.
I continued flying
until I reached the foot of the mountains.
This is where I will rest for a while.
One day I will be
ready to climb these mountains, but not just yet. It is not yet time for me. I need to mend myself more. If I need to I have a lifetime to reach the
tops of these mountains. As long as it
takes is as long as it will be.
(image courtesy of Melissa Simm)
