Down on a Meadow Fair
Dan Johnson
© 2004

Fear,
doubt,
sadness,
Thought my head was full of madness.
Certain things would not go away,
Kept thinking about them everyday,
Everyday, everyday, everyday.
Thought all the brain cells were quickly fading to a dismal gray.

Took a journey one bright day
To see what the spirits had to say.
Went deep…far deeper then I’d ever been.
In meditation,
interior inspection,
Quiet reflection,
Gave over every care
Down on a meadow fair.

Silence, filled my room
Silence next to death
All around me,
No thought about.
Time,
Place,
Reason,
Just went deeper
To those recesses
Of my mind
Just went further
To the shadows of my life.

Floating freely
In a downward fall,
Moving but not knowing
Aware but oblivious
Feeling the force
In the vortex,
To this abode called, mysterious
Then a voice softly said,
Welcome to the place
That your soul you’ll bare,
Down on a meadow…fair.

Was this heaven?
Or was this hell?
My guide said,
Hard to tell,
Because in the end
It all depends on you.
Don’t worry he went on,
I’m not here to judge
Your life
Right from wrong,
My job is take you
To where you need to be
For in this journey
Of introspection,
Don’t you seek to
Break the chains,
To be set free?

Onward in silence
Past places of my life
Some good
Some bad
Vagaries of remembrance,
I held his hand as the
Trek continued,
Soft, safe, pleasurable
Was the connection
Of him to me.
Then I had to ask myself,
What is it I expect to see,
Down on a meadow fair?

Won’t be long he said,
Over this knoll,
Past this darkened hole,
Just keep looking
Straight ahead.
See, he said,
Over there
Where the creek runs gentle
Where the breezes resemble,
Peace and satisfaction.
Closer…a little closer
Upon a rock sat a form,
Closer…a little closer,
That rock etched the word called life,
Closer…a little closer
Form moved,
turned around
Cut me to my heart,
With a two-edged knife
We sat there wordless
Eye to eye, did we stare
Down on this meadow fair.

Mind turning twisting tumbling
But we knew each others thoughts.
Said this vision,
Wisdom of my life is what I sought.
I said a simple yes…
Stay, sit, and talk openly,
I’ll give you answers
I’ll do my best.
Closer…a little closer
I started learning, the truth of me.

What I saw
By the gentle stream,
Where waters of peace,
And sunlight’s beam,
This journey would soon run its course,
Not long did I have
I felt no remorse,
Matter of fact
For the first time ever,
I felt unbound,
I felt free,
For on that day
Down on a meadow, fair,
I came face to face
With me.

When I awoke,
Tired, from my journey deep,
But alive, with a new found vision
Of whom I happen to be.
Thanks to the guide,
Thanks to the other me,
Now that I know
What it means to be free.

Dan Johnson