A Reflective Mind
A frightful blizzard whips this way, huddled inside our walls
We ponder its unwillingness to fade. Stillness and silence seeps
In like the cold, creating an uncomfortable stage. The hustle and
Bustle of our fast-paced lives, the unexpected elements
Did deliberately take. Put upon now to examine the cage in
Which we wait. Idle curiosity inside allows our eyes to open
To the murals of us which we wear in disguise. Do we
Clutch to the comfort of our illusions with pride or do we
Ride the tempest back to places we long ago denied. These
Places now using such opportunity to claw at the back of
Our minds. Nudge and push and crowd. Forcing us to open our
Mind’s eye even when we are so used to looking down.
We watch our footprints to be sure they step on sturdy ground,
But what lies below is fragile and can easily be lost if we
Are not careful of the line we straddle. If what lies
Above comes tumbling down what is below will become
Hidden in the rubble. Acknowledge your mind’s eye and lift
Your head high. What lies beyond the façade that is a tapestry
Of paint, plaster, beams, pipes, and boards? Why it is the attic,
Long forgotten, or else perhaps purposely ignored. It calls to
Us in our current state of wake, do not allow that shadowed part
Of you to turn away. Pull the rope and climb the ladder
To rediscovery, or take the stairs and open the door should
You have that luxury. The way inside may stick due to rust or
Warped wood, a result of neglect leading to stubborn
Misunderstandings underfoot. Hold fast, do not give up on
What could be with such lackluster ease. Try again once more,
Do not just turn and leave. Continue this journey outside
Your comfort zone. The difficulties that you own, might just lead
You home. Putter in the opened entrance for a time if you
Must. For this entrance is a looking glass and requires
Unwavering trust. Once inside, stand fast despite the eerie creaks
Of the floor. For they are cries of relief that there is company
Once more. A tiny window on the far wall there may be, but with
The whipping snow there is nothing outside to see. The ice outside
Frosted over from the cold, the scrying bowls of puddles and
Ponds you will not behold. Focus instead on what lies right in front
Of your eyes. Within these four walls memories, objects, and
Images reside. There are so many facets and recesses to the attic
Of your mind. All will become evident when you begin to search
Inside. Forced to remain indoors contemplate yourself far
More, and carefully sort through all that you have stored. In this
Solitude do not avoid the echoing secrets, I do implore. For this is
An invitation too steeped in possibility to ignore. In every attic
Space there are things that are known, and there are things that
Are unknown. Make no mistake, the mirror you have entered
Will show you both. Prepare, and accept that which your
Treasure and trash will bestow. Cluttered by all that you have
Aimlessly tucked away. Discarded, but not with a finality that
Might betray. Rather pieces of self, left incomplete, waiting to again
Have their say. Lost for a spell of time, the life in them once faded,
Is now ready to shine. The objects that surround, they may be fully
Seen, or they might be in shroud. Hidden corners, crawl spaces,
And loose floorboards abound. Some things when hidden,
Are hidden to never be found. But find them you must. For they
Are meant to be found. Take courage! There is something to learn
From them, or else you would not have forced them
Underground. Instead, you would have thrown them away
Not bothering to glance back around. Then, there are those
Things that appear in plain sight, but are they really, for an
Attic plays tirelessly with the light. Even objects thought to be in clear
Sight, when you look closer are part in shadow, part in light. In the
Darkest of places that we have inside, a source of light always finds
Its way with pride. There are those torches we bring with us on the
Renewed hunt, and those lights that were already there hoping for a chance to
Help us confront. Candles, lamps, and bulbs, all ready and waiting to produce
A glow. But do not overlook the shine that was already there, for natural
Light filters with a higher purpose and offers no pretense or show. The
Light of humility makes way through cracks in the walls, roof,
A vent, or even a window. Yet, depending on the location of the
Sun, such light will find many homes in your attic before the day
Is done. Like a magic trick, an illusion; smoke and mirrors if you
Will, for if you move a mirror side to side you control the light,
Smooth as silk. An object of illumination can direct or reflect a source
Of power, sending it on to or away from all that we keep in our towers.
The reflective glass that indeed surrounds can be our superpower.
Carefully look in the mirror and see beyond the barren dirt to a flower.
To do this may be to win at least the winter battle, if not the war.
Do not soak up a single image as if it has no core. Angle your vision
Slightly and a piece of paper, no longer a thin line, is now wide as a
Board. Perhaps in the struggle to find such reward, you will
Soar like never before. What do we see in the mirrors of all that we
Have kept locked inside? Do we see less than we hoped, or do we look
Past the disguise? It is our choice to recognize symbols found in
What lies between the lines, or else to simply accept what is presented,
Being only an imitation of life. The next time you find a mirror,
Look past the limits and reflect. Those limits we often create for
Ourselves and they do not in fact protect. Take every opportunity to
Break down the borders and barriers that we erect. Allow what was
Left behind once upon a time to find its place with respect. That place
Inside that gently holds our true essence with patient abandon. The soul
We harbor deep inside pleads for us, its true companion.
Returning to a space that inspires self-recognition through self-courage by way of truly confronting and moving forward from what keeps us restrained is an opportunity for us to discover the importance of a clear path. A path that is only made visible by removing all the cobwebs that are weighted in dust and abandonment. This action restores within us the need for a fresh purpose and subsequently a sense of hopefulness. The mantra mind over matter is limited and I believe better served if re-imagined as perception over habitual. The essence of this very concept is captured beautifully in the poem The Journey by Mary Oliver, in which we learn about perseverance to newfound freedoms becoming possible through the hard and seemingly thankless work of shedding light on one’s own darknesses or obstacles in the struggle to excavate a self-expressive and desired path.
I perceive my article, Courageous Choice Pathway: Experiencing Your Hard-won Inner Truths, as an interesting supplemental read to A Reflective Mind. Reviewing this post with the perception of first separating how we hold ourselves up in any relationship and then bringing that into how we are able to make that work with respect to interpersonal dynamics, will allow us to manifest meaningful connections in regard to our individual analysis of this poem and the impactful benefits it can lead us to embrace as we search for a transformative and empowered future.
