Seeking Serenity

Is there a place that brings you
such peace, just by being there?
Where every breath of air just takes you gradually
into a deep state of ease and fills you with a strong sense of
"this is where I belong?"

A place where the cares of the world simply melt away and slip out of sight for awhile.

A place of relaxation, rejuvenation, even bliss...

A place where your heart sings, your soul rejoices, and every fiber of your being
is bathed in the incredible "rightness" of it all.

For me, that place is on the water with nature's sounds, sights, and smells filling the air.
All I have to do is enter this water zone and my breathing slows and deepens,
my smile broadens, my heart swells, and my eyes sparkle with a light from deep within.

The lake sparks something inside of me that lets me know that this is part of me,
and I am meant to be here.

Here I can simply BE.
Here I feel the oneness and the connection with all living things.

In this heaven on earth, I feel free.
I feel whole.
I am serenity.

In the Swamp

Every now and then I find myself
Stuck,
Deep in a dank and dark place,
Unable to see the light,
     even though I know it's there. 

Held here by my fears.
Held tightly by the negativity I feel
     within myself and from others.
Bound to this nasty place
Too weak to fight for fresh air

I feel the thoughts and attitudes of others
     wrap around me and pull me in.

I can't breathe here.
I can't remember who I am.
I don't know how I got here
     or how long I'll stay.

But for now it feels like this is
     all there is.

And, so I surrender.

And in that moment of letting go,
     a light of possibility emerges.
As I embrace the discomfort that
surrounds me, it loses its hold
and I no longer have to stay.