The Soul’s errand

I was lost in between pages.
Every flip took me deeper. I was dead to everything around,
Alive in another world, and from mere words I created images.
Now, I was a boy on a soul’s errand, trying to listen and follow the right sound.
A minute I was a shepherd tending to my sheep, happy and alive
The next I was in a desert, one with dunes and tormented by ghosts of the sand
Maybe it was the struggle to thrive and survive,
Or the quest for purpose and encounters with omens difficult to understand
Maybe it was the maps that held the treasure that was enthralling
Or the journey to a future unknown that was calling.

I was lost in the construct of my mind
Deep in thoughts it reflected on my countenance
Eager, under the sheets of my bed, to leave cruel reality behind
But it followed me and themed my alternate world, a callous dance
To a fantastic rhythm. Now I was a girl tormented by delays and terrible nights
No distractions to keep my mind in awe and at peace
Reality gnawed at me in the place of my escape, that was not right!
So I blotted out images and memories did I dismiss
Maybe it was the truth of this adventure that scared me
Maybe it was the fact that all was not peachy that chased me.

Flip after flip, fantasy after fantasies
I was open to the sadness and happiness of life
Aware of everything it held, all of its intricacies
Kind of like an old couple; how well the husband knows his wife.
Maybe I was wrong again, maybe I knew nothing at all
So like the boy, I listened to the language of nature
I hearkened to every sound, every movement and waited on her call
Maybe then I’d have a glimpse into the map, that ascertained the future
Maybe it was the uncertainty of life that kept me a-searching like those old sages
Maybe it was just pure curiosity that kept me in between pages

Like I ran in between books hungry for answers
My soul is on an errand to find purpose and relevance
But this waters are turbulent and I will need more anchors
This is a wild race not a strut or a walk exuding elegance
I hope I don’t lose faith, hope and heart
I hope I don’t get lost in temporary bliss and tawdry fun
I hope the distractions and down times don’t tear me apart
I hope to stay true to my pretention and continue on
I hope to discern my omens like the boy did
I hope to find my treasure like the boy did.

When I read the book ‘Alchemist’ by Paul Coelho I felt a different kind of connection to that book and now that I think of it, I know that it was because I was, and still am, at the same point the boy was; following his dreams in search of a treasure he wasn’t even sure existed. He encountered so many distractions but he continued on and struggled till he found his treasure. We are all on a search for purpose or in his case a treasure and we might encounter a lot of difficult times and dry spells but let’s remember that the journey to purpose is a tiresome one and only the fit can survive. This poem was inspired by the book ‘Alchemist’ which is a total must-read!

I pray we find answers to all our questions and I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Have a lovely week! 😘😘