The Path of Descent
The Path of Descent
Ten years and counting...
Ten years ago,
I made a wise choice
with my only remaining option
being to turn my will over
to the God of my limited
understanding.
I told myself euphemistically
this would be an inspiring jaunt,
and I smiled brightly as I waited
to be lifted light as a feather
on a breeze of serenity.
My path began on a Thursday
at an old limestone church,
in a gentrifying neighborhood
of a well-known Texas town.
I parked beneath
a great moon tower,
the arc lights now replaced
by blinding halogens.
Then I entered the church
through an inconspicuous door,
and followed a dark hallway
until I saw a glowing room.
Inside I found empty chairs
inviting the weary and wary
to begin the long journey
on the path of descent.
I am not alone in my tiredness or sickness or fears,
but at one with millions of others from many centuries,
and it is all part of life.
~ Etty Hillesum
