A PRESENCE EVERLASTS

Arctic wind  across Canada nips at naked cheeks,

while lips quiver and purse together – in awe.

Flurry of snowflakes blind, obscure what soul seeks.

Then, teardrops like icicles melt during a winter thaw.

Moment upon moment, I became lost and bereft.

No warm embrace, fiery embers, to draw me in,

To comfort, chide me onward, beyond what was left.

Bleak sky seemed to suffocate and stifle, where to begin.

Again and again, a faint voice beckons from a stand of firs.

A mind wanders aimlessly at times, leads to an impasse.

Clarity breaks through, a bell gongs, spirit awakens and stirs.

Truth resounds, it resonates, a presence unseen everlasts.

Copyright © J. L. Smyth March 19, 2023