Wasteland by Shelley L Flynn

I dreamed of a barren wasteland Е

Vast and empty it was, flatness stretching to
the horizon, with darkness that weighed heavily
upon me Е the stillness seemed to echo as I
held my breath, waiting for I knew not what Е

And then, from somewhere in the distance,
I heard the sound of slow, lumbering footsteps Е
although I could not see what was approaching,
I was sure it was something large, something
huge and relentless Е something that knew
I was there, alone and defenseless Е

I wanted to run, to find somewhere safe from this
unseen terror Е yet at the same time, I knew that
fleeing was hopeless Е in such darkness I could
see nowhere to hide, and I was certain that running
would only take me closer to what I wanted to avoid Е

Then suddenly, softly, a voice whispered,
УItТs all right to be afraid ЕФ

All right to be afraid Е how could this possibly be true,
when fear clouded my thinking and left me immobile Е
fear clutches at the heart, and brings
the Сfight or flightТ reaction Е fear so often erases
logic and reason, how could it be all right to be afraid Е
even so, I was filled with quiet peace Е

I thought of other times I had been afraid, yet had
faced a situation Е and each time, the dread of doing so
had been far worse than the actual confrontation Е
to deny fear is to let it continue to grip the heart,
mind, and soul, for if fear is not acknowledged,
it can never be overcome Е

УItТs all right to be afraid ЕФ

I spoke the words aloud and knew how true
they were and are Е and turning to face
that which approached from the darkness,
I found nothing there Е fear had lost its power
when I refused to give it shape and substance Е

© Shelley L Flynn June, 2004

Midi Playing: "Winds of Time" © Bruce DeBoer
an Original Composition

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