Purification

by David M Gunson

He turns and looks back
at the gaping wound
that opened the ground
and swallowed his world.

The breach is too broad,
the abyss too deep,
too wide to traverse;
an impassable rent.

Before him lies desert,
shifting seas of sand,
barren landscapes
and few oases from care.

He imagines he sees
his familiar tent
with gaily colored rugs
in welcome array.

Within its cool shade
cushions are scattered
and brass platters laid
with biryani and dates.

The air is scented
with sweet frankincense
and at the entrance, waiting,
his beloved is there.

He cannot go back;
with no way to return,
all that is left to him
is to plod ever on;

Away from his beloved,
away from his home,
alone on a journey
with no certainty known.

Each time he looks back
she is further behind him,
each time he looks back
his vision is dimmed.

Only the image
his heart keeps is constant,
only his heart's faith
keeps him forging ahead.

He knows he will see her
but only when tempered
by the purification
that now is his fate.

27-Dec-2012

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