I go with trepidation
To delve into my soul.
So long my heart's been quiet.
Silent wind has blown it cold.
As I stand upon the brink
Of this black consequence of my fall,
I wonder, "Is this just a hidden midden?"
"Is there a point to this quest at all?"
Yes, I must resolve it.
Unearth the darkness of the deep,
And pray there still lies virtue
In the dormant secret that it keeps.
What I find is revelation.
In all the wrong there lives some right.
Submission to my intrigue
Enough to shine the light.
Stone trials drip from the ceiling.
Tribulations rise from the floor.
Splendid sculptures in this storehouse
Of all I've lived before.
The beauty of my history,
Remnants cached within its walls.
Memories thread the crystal tapestries
Hanging it in its halls.
In this crypt of misadventure,
I see I can be healed.
For what I believed a wasteland
Is a treasure trove revealed.
The air turns keenly colder.
Instead of fear, I feel refreshed.
For I've found forgiveness,
Grief and hope blessedly enmeshed.
Desperate doubt drove me in.
Faith, the lantern led me out
Into the dawn of knowing
I've traveled a holy, guided route.
To finding joy is my commitment.
To regret, I will no longer be a slave.
For I've found life's effervescence
Through my contrition in this cave.
* Inspired by my love for caves. This poem won the Kartchner Caverns Arizona State Park poetry contest in 2021. The above photo was taken at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico.