without a speck of guilt

"revelation must be
terrible with no time left
to say goodbye.

imagine the moment
staring at the still waters
with only the brief tremor

of your body to say
you are leaving everything
and everyone you know behind.

being far from home is hard, but you know,
at least, we are exiled together.
when you open your eyes to the world

you are on your own for
the first time. no one is
even interested in saving you now

and the world steps in
to test the calm fluidity of your body
from moment to moment,

as if it believed you could join
its vibrant dance
of fire and calmness and final stillness...

as if you were meant to be exactly
where you are, as if
like the dark branch of a desert river

you could flow on without a speck
of guilt and everything
everywhere would still be just as it should be..."



- excerpt from david whyte's poem "revelation must be terrible" from his book "fire in the earth"

- painting by connell design, "still water" acrylic on canvas 2006