Finding Paradise

Parched,
under indigo sky
I wander along a riverbed,
its dried and cracked soil
crumbles beneath my weary feet,
driven to dust,
the water long since gone…

I take a breath of arid air,
letting the wind tease through me
for a precious moment of relief
from the blistering heat
beating down upon the sand,
wondering at the fate
of my companion riverbed…

Coming across a small boat,
it half-buried among the silt
lining the dried out basin.
Taking a hand along the wood frame,
I trace my fingers along its ridges,
imagining the stories it would tell
of times when a river flowed…

Taking seat upon the bow,
my eyes draw up across the land,
rolling dunes cast in sun’s light,
nothing else in sight until at last
a glorious oasis comes into view,
sparkling palms circling
its humble pool of water…

Rising to my feet, I gaze on eagerly,
craving the paradise before me,
so stumbling forward, I trek on,
feeling my hunger rise with each step,
thoughts aplenty of drinking deeply
from the cool springs pooling up,
to dip beneath and submerge in fully…

Something pulls me to my senses,
my eyes looking past to see a path
spiraling from my sweet relief,
disappearing into the amber horizon.
I’m not sure where it goes,
nor if I should try,
but it calls to something inside of me…

With one last look to the oasis,
I take a swallow and then a breath
before leaving my path for one anew.
A daring choice I feel is right,
turning from certain salvation
for what is unknown,
a venture most would surely scorn…

Gingerly one foot before the other,
I slowly make it to the path.
Glancing down at my feet,
I see a remarkable shell.
Kneeling down for a better look,
it half buried in the sand;
fingers dig in deep, I take it in hand…

It is when I stand up fully,
I gaze to where the oasis had been,
only to discover with some shock
that it is no longer there,
suddenly grateful for this simple shell
to draw me from a mirage allurement
that vanished into thin air.

Glancing at the shell a moment longer,
I place it in my pocket,
a good luck charm to carry with me
while I travel on.
With a smile, I look forward,
peering into the unseen future,
for I now had a road to take…

My pace quickening, I move on,
forcing myself through my thirst
as my eyes focus far
to fall upon a luscious forest
at the base of snowcapped mountains.
It has been obscured until now,
but there it finally is…

So much farther than the oasis had been,
but it becomes clearer as I draw closer,
until at last, I arrive at the edge,
and face the entrance into the woods.
Gazing up at what lies before me,
I take another breath and then—
I find my true paradise.