in the clearing.

someway,
somehow,
i arrive again at a clearing.
a place that offers a welcome respite
from the restless mind.
a moment to breathe.
to let the light in after the lush,
overgrown forest
almost swallowed me whole.

the darkness,
once seemingly endless,
reveals itself not as an ending,
but as an invitation
to begin again.

the light,
ever-present,
waiting patiently for me
to keep searching,
to find a way through doubt.
through overwhelm.
through defeat.
through despair.

and then,
to look up
and be comforted by its warmth.
to rest in the deep knowing
that the light was never gone.
only hidden beneath the canopy
i had mistaken for home.

here,
in the clearing,
i find my way back.
back to my worth.
back to my resilience.
back to the steady belief
that i can endure,
that i can meet adversity
and still choose
to keep walking.

walking the ever-winding path
before me,
choosing hope,
choosing forward motion,
knowing there will be
another dense forest,
another open clearing
ahead
along the journey.
again,
and again,
and again.

all the while,
learning to welcome
the wildness of it all.
every twist.
every turn.

learning to trust
that beneath every canopy,
beneath every season
of shadow,
another clearing is waiting
for me to arrive.