i am no longer afraid
of the mystery called freedom.
i stepped out,
i let go, and
i sank for awhile.

now i swim,
now i am healed,
now i grow,
now i walk freedom road,

sometimes alone,
but always tall and easy,
with fierce intelligence
and unadorned beauty.

i got in my canoe
and learned to paddle on my own,
then i paddled away
from the known to the unknown.

i got out of my canoe
and crossed my personal wasteland
of emotional garbage,
of spiritual baggage,
with no signposts and
no prophets to guide me,
only the light of spirit and truth.

now i have passed the crossroads,
now i am truly alive,
no longer afraid of freedom.

*************************************************

writing, my solace...
music, my comfort...
two gateways...

they transport me,
transcending all...
all illusions,
all lies,
all mindgames and bullshit...

shining genuine truth and authenticity
onto all aspects of life.

for these two gateways to oneness and peace,
i give my deepest thanks and highest praise.

***************************************************

a hummingbird visited my humble porch today,
after thunderstorms rumbled through,
washing and cleansing every living thing.

rocky creeks and mossy boulders
greet my eyes,
caress my mind,
comfort my soul,

as i wander down
every gravel backroad
in this outlaw haven
of wooded hollars and
untamed forests.

i wander these backroads
searching for my original soul,
hidden beneath layers of grime
accumulated in the city,
shed in the country.

these roads lead me away
from the illusions and bullshit
and towards my heart
strongly beating
and towards the light,
and towards my soul
courageously answering
this devastating call to adventure
that is finally leading me home...





all poems written by manitou magwa in the summer of 2005