When I was too young to know the way
people took me
where I needed to go
and I enjoyed the journey
as the world spun by my eyes in colors.
When I was ten
I walked the path on my own
taking it all in with wonder
and as my knowledge grew
my eyes blazed its truth in colors.
Later, I wearied of the journey
and the colors began to repeat themselves.
I tired of their hues.
I became impatient
and unsatisfied
and thought about myself
and how I lacked new colors
and I blamed those
who had originally shown me the way
for not showing me enough
and the colors blazing in my eyes
ignited.
I set people on fire
with my blazing truth.
I scorched them with my fury
and burned up everything in my path
spreading black and deadened trails.
The world spun by my eyes in darkness.
And one day I found myself alone.
Everyone had run away
and I’d burned my world down.
I was in an empty place
with my truth spent
and no spinning colors left.
So I regressed to a child again
who knew not the path
and I waited
for others to come and take me
where I needed to go.
Soon again the world spun by my eyes in colors.
As I grew older I learned
to take the path on my own again.
But this time I learned to vary the journey
and mix the colors anew into a variety of hues
to make my travels interesting
and my truth universal.
Because I’d come to realize
the hues were mine to choose
and truth was there to find.
Again the world spun by my eyes in colors.
And my eyes blazed again,
this time with wisdom.
Copyright 2008 JO Janoski
July 19, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Oh, this is an incredible piece. I suppose I am in the transition where I am alone, because that’s where I prefer to be.
July 19, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Yes, this is an awesome piece. I especially like “the colors began to repeat themselves,” and that fourth stanza is right on. Thanks for sharing with us, Jo. And thanks again, Scot. You get us all charged up, which is great. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a community of poets and writers to talk to and read. And enjoy.
July 19, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Great poem –an account of the fundamental journey. When you end with “wisdom” it makes me think of William Blake.
July 20, 2008 at 1:12 am
Thank you, everyone! And especially thanks to Scot for the Challenge. I haven’t been this charged up in while myself!
July 20, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Jo
this was unlike many of yours–my favorite of yours–shows that you shine out of your box!!