Mirage
At times
as I walk across the desert of my mind
I see a shimmer.
Is it the light
refracted through air
or the heat
of the sun’s fire
warming the earth?
Is it the water of my mind
steaming up to confuse me?
Is it God or Goddess,
angel or devil,
friend or foe?
Oasis?
Or just more sand,
reflecting itself,
reflecting me,
reflecting nothing.
All I know is
that it is beautiful
that it calls to me
that I am walking toward it
and I will walk
until I find my way.
About this Poem and Photo
I’m in an online poetry writing circle, and each month we’re given a prompt and free reign for what we want to make of it. This was my first month, and thus my first poem in this context.
The poem is my reflection on faith. Who knows what it is, in objective reality, that we see with the eyes of faith? I use the image of a traveler walking across the desert, seeing a vision in the distance, and wondering if it is real. At times, the journey of faith is much like that.
The photo is one I took in 2003, on a visit to the Painted Desert in Arizona.
