The Worn Path of Souls
written by: Glen McKenzie
@justabitfurther
Years of darkened toil marked the sacred ground
A path worn deep through the forest of humanity
Countless heavily burdened souls trudged step by step
Each footprint a legacy of despair and hurt
Through the meandering forest filled with sorrow and pain
Leaves from the trees littered the ground
Like tears falling from the eyes of a ten-thousand heart-wrenching struggles
The dank moist air reeked of hopelessness
The brightest of days did nothing to dispel the darkness
Snippets of light and hope teased those
Who found themselves desperately coping to exist
Within a forest of unhappiness and self-doubt
Winter to spring to summer and to fall
The path got deeper and wider after each passing foot-step
Memories of pain and heartache a melancholy awakening
To an existence teetering on oblivion
Mile after mile the path recorded every painful episode
A sober reminder to those who chose to dwell
Where the forest of sorrow and pain takes no prisoners
Knowing we are all hostages lost in the wilds of insecurity
The passing of millennia eroded life within the artery of sorrow
Sunlight and air vanished into a vacuum of bleak
Life and living reduced to debris and rubble discarded
Along the forest floor trampled by the next casualty
Life is a precarious knife-edge between hope and anguish
Wooden planks hide the scars along the avenue of pain
A cosmetic covering of living within a jungle of doubt
One we all march seeking salvation
Hiking, canoe tripping as well as other outdoor adventure activities, can be seen as a metaphor for living. Both are journey’s filled with scores of good and not so good steps. Highs and lows; successes and failures.
Over the years, have realized that spending time in the outdoors pursuing whatever type of outdoor activity you choose opens up a wonderful and life-changing array of lessons on living and ourselves if, we are willing to stop, observe and listen.
Come and join me.
- Today I Cried - November 24, 2021
- Rush - September 28, 2021
- The Worn Path of Souls - July 3, 2021
