Spring of the Soul
Dusty, spent, stifling air—
Prisoner to these walls and
Closed locked doors—
Lulls my mind and body
Into a numbing stupor
Unable to detect the stagnant smell
Of repetitious living
Unable, even with imagination,
To capture the scent of moist earth
The crispness of an early morning breeze
Or feel the warm, life-giving mists
That bathe a dry-cracked soul
I long
To fling wide the shutters of my life
Unlock the doors and windows to my heart
To know the soft inspiring light of new insights
To soak in cleansing-healing pools of love
To feel the stretch of hesitant beginnings
To savor long the taste of diverse creeds
Enough
Enough of stifling air
Confining rooms and narrow views
I must leave the comfort of these known walls
Venture forth
Breathe deeply
Believe fearlessly
Then open wide my arms
Lift up my face and
Courageously embrace
This unknown season
Of my soul.
About the Author
Sarah Burkholder
Sarah Burkholder has been writing poetry since she was 12 years old. She sees poetry as a way to capture in words the many mysteries of life. In her retirement, she has focused even more of her time on poetic wordsmithing, regularly sharing her artistic talent with FMC by crafting calls to worship. Here she shares one of her poems related to the theme of looking back and moving forward.
