The White Rosebud

To those who have ever suffered from depression

Exploring the cave’s darkness,
I’ve spent my life
Scraping my skin on the cold
Stone walls.
Seeking the cleansing light
Which would free me
From the endless night
That is this tunnel.
This cold, damp tunnel
I’ve wandered through
For an eternity
But wait.
There might be a light
An opening to the sun
To the sweet, fresh air
Of enlightenment and joy.
My heart pounds
As if it might burst
From my chest.
As I run toward the light.
Brighter, brighter
Closer to the exit.
I can smell the mountain air
And feel the dry desert in my lungs.
Now it’s near.
Peace floods my soul
As I walk into the scents
Of the earth’s open air and sky.
I squint at the brightness
Of the sun’s cleansing light.
Warmth floods me
Like a blanket on a winter night.
When my eyes adjust
To the blindness
Caused by so many
Years in the darkness
I scan the horizon
And see a hawk soaring
Above the peak of a nearby hill.
What a wondrous sight.
I hear the rustling
Of the sagebrush
Dancing in the desert wind.
What a glorious noise.
And I look down
At the entrance to the cave
This tunnel where I’ve spent eternity
Seeking these sights and sounds
Where I’ve been trapped
In a seemingly endless journey
To this joy and happiness
Which now seems so near.
And there, at my feet
A white rosebud
Glistening with the morning dew
And ready to open to full splendor
To experience the things
I’m feeling and draw warmth
From the morning sun.
And it makes me smile
Like I’ve never smiled.