And if I Stand

‘And if I stand still along this road for one brief moment
to reflect and look at the path just trod
From what angle will I view my life
which therefore determines how I proceed forward?

Will I see my life’s challenges staring up at me
with angry beacons of failure, regret and pain?
With my finger always pointing, accusing, outward, away from ME?
A fallen victim of my innermost fears and illusions?

Or will I see them sitting silently amongst the thorns
and in between the hedges, no longer holding me captive
no longer cradled in their power
because I have saluted and honored the space they played on my journey
because I have allowed myself to learn the lessons presented to me
for without them I could not stand on this mountaintop
With back straight against the biting wind
For without them, I would not be able to reflect back upon
For without them I could not have discovered me

Esther Austin
March 2010e