I slip into meditation this morning, my mind wanders, the muse beckons, a poem appears…

It is, I think, from a remnant of a dream that filled my sleeping moments last night.

The Path Unburdened
©2023 Louise Gallagher

I am walking down a tree-lined path 
a path that only I know of
golden light  beacons
like a beacon of hope
calling me to move forward
free of the mist that veils what lies behind me
The mist cling.

For too long I have carried all that lay behind with me,
valuing it like a precious bundle of maps showing me the path forward.

This place I stand
It is familiar to me
warm, inviting, embracing,
I want to carry its essence with me 
and gather up all I see and feel and know and experience
these are the moments I must remember, I tell myself
and place them carefully in the safety of my bundle.

My load grows heavier
I take another step
and then another step
weighted down by the load I carry 
I lose my sense of purpose in each step
the road ahead becomes less sure
and I stand still, as hopelessness embraces me.

I cannot breathe and turn to look behind me
the mist has gotten heavier, the way back obscured
I turn back to the path in front of me
and see, a light beckoning in the distance 
shimmering in the beautiful mystery of what is yet to be revealed
in the unseen path before me.

And still, I hesitate
I feel the heaviness of the burden I carry on my back
Dare I let it go?
I take a breath and close my eyes
the light ahead shimmers in the darkness
I set my bundle down

Lighter now, I look with awe at the ground upon which I stand
It is paved in leaves of gold set with precious gems of many colours.

I look ahead and see the path before me
For as far as I can see, to the point where the horizon meets the path
golden light radiates. Welcoming and inviting.

There is only one way forward
I must step beyond the beauty of this moment,
trusting the path will be revealed 
with every step I take, unburdened by what lies behind me.

I leave the bundle full of many maps and untaken journeys on the ground 
and step forward.
There is only one way to walk this path
unburdened by the load of past regrets, road not taken, dreams undreamt
to lie, fallow, along the path
I cannot change the things I’ve done, 
or cast aside in my rush to move along
I cannot change what was and can never be again.

I step forward, unburdened and free, 
Shedding the weight of what came before and now lies behind me,
I carry on, trusting the path will be unfold
with each unburdened step I take leading the way
into the exquisite mystery of what lies before me.