Set Free

Like so many bears restless in their
Enclosures, housed within a zoo,
Made to be a public spectacle,
I feel the desire to be set free
From the false shelter that holds this
Longing locked down, and to escape
Away to another shelter of my
Own making. This soul search
Centered in my present perspective,
Colored by the crayons of a thousand
Yesterdays. Blinded by trees from
The view of the forest of my natural
Habitat, everything that has no value
Just seems to get in the way time and
Time again. Distractions of shiny
Allure capturing my sight, pulling
Me away from my purpose to
Persevere, to procure the key to
Unlock this cage, to roam the
Open world where the wild things
Wander. Reflected in my vision,
The tantalizing treasure of freedom
From the four walls that surround me
Daily, to seek out the promise of
New life, new hope and new dreams
That my recurring visions view in the
Distance, beyond the bars that will
Not bend despite my constant pulling.
But there is a hope, and there lives a
Dream and a constant echoing from
The chorus of voices that have broken
Their own bonds before me
Telling me to have faith and to
Hold on for just a little while longer.
That storms may rage outside our
Cell tempting us to stay in our prison,
But we need only take heart and
Be strong, for I can see ahead that
The rainbow lies within our reach.

-Dakin 6/26/09

Axios! (For Kevin…)

Sometimes the night is beautiful,
But sometimes it drifts so far away
From us and from the longing of our
Hearts, from our desires and our dreams.
But take inventory, my friend, look to
That sky and be reminded that you
Gaze upon those same stars shown
To Abraham, and that one of those stars
Was lit long, long ago, predestined as a
Powerful symbol that you are here at
This year, this day, this hour, this moment
For a reason, and should you ever stumble,
You will never be beyond reach. That where
You are is where you are meant to be and
All will come to pass in its proper time.
That the speed bumps of life serve only
To provide a pause, not to stall our
Purpose. And there amidst the chaos,
There still rises a pillar of cloud by day,
A tower of fire by night, settling our steps
Forward to a more perfect place, a
Higher call, for this time of our passing
Is but temporal and only a shadow of
Glories to come in our eternal reunions.
I have all faith that through this you will,
As sung by a modern prophet,
Continue to work to give faith
Hands and feet, and through that
Will instead give it wings.

To you, and to the world, I say now
Axios! He is worthy indeed.
And hierarchies and establishments may
Engage in barter and trade and politics,
May relish traditions and trappings,
But at the core, they are all the product of
Man, and should the divinity choose,
All that has been constructed shall come
To pass and a new order is designed.
For even the Levites can be succeeded
By Melchizedek, and a new path is provided.
And as you seek your answers and guidance
Take heart and find comfort in this simple but
Powerful benediction I now bestow upon
You and your broken and humbled heart,
Love has come and it has given to all of us
Hope to carry on. Selah.

Dakin 6/20/09

Closer

Keeping my fingers gripped
Hanging off this lifeline’s ledge
Can sometimes be exhausting to the
Point of wishing for the slip, to begin
To descend, seeking some sort of
Unending restful slumber alone
Away from the stress of self-sacrifice,
Away from the sanctimonious seat
Of judgment society so often exercises
Over our daily stumbles. I am not
Afraid to admit that my mistakes
Have made me who I am today
And for forevermore to come, yet my
Personal convictions cast their net to
Capture the clarion sentiment that
It truly is about finding forgiveness
Of self and society, mores and norms
Transcended by the tantalizing truth
That no matter what our eyes may
Define for our static senses, those
Deepest wounds really are healed
Only by finding faith in the fact that
This path has been paved for a reason,
Regardless of one’s religiosity and tenets,
Or subscription to philosophies and
Fates, yearning for that time when
The puzzle pieces itself together, when
Everything finally falls in line and we
Stand witness watching in wonder
How profoundly perfect the chaos of
Creation resolves of its own accord,
Resonating with unsurpassed melody
Lifting our stumbles in choreography,
A dance slowly evolved from shadows
Cast in the moonlight of younger yesterdays,
Waiting there for me, waiting for you,
Climbing back to stand above this cliff,
Never knowing what brought us here.

Dakin 6/10/09

Crash

Shattered, the pieces
Of windshield scattered
All around my latest sojourn;
I never saw it coming.
The brutality of this sudden stop,
Shocking in its severity,
Blindsided by sins of the past
That I had thought long ago
Repented, now resented
By another. There is no
Other one to blame,
For I alone am the debtor,
Though I would swear
I had paid the sum off
Three times over when the
Account was called in.
I find now the usurious scars
Shall ever sting me,
Made raw once again by the
Coincidental calamity
Culminating in this
Collision, my broken body
Lying on the pavement;
My broken soul bleeding.
Better I should know.
Wounds worse than the
Welts raised from self-
Flagellation, the barbs of
Doubt and lost confidence.
How then shall I act when
No correction to this course
Can now be made, for my
Collateral lies strewn across
This once exited highway?
Self-awareness slipping,
Terror of the unknown gripping,
Yet, I take comfort in this one phrase,
Fear is not the end of this.

Dakin 6/3/09