Back to Issue 6

Pilgrim III 2 by Robert S. Fulk

The wail of the soul is not often heard,
  but to those attuned to such things,
  it is deafening.

  my brother he travels in lands of enlightenment
  surrounded by inspiration of god's hallowed grace,
  he travel's and grows, his ethic now changing,
  he has become an idea walking as a man.

  When he returns to the world that bore him,
  these travels will show him the beauty of life, the fragile delicacy
  of a few moments, the lack of meaning, but the understanding of grace.

  I pray for him, as he prays for himself, as we pray for him
  I pray not for safety, this man needs no such petition
  god chooses those who walk with his purpose.
  The serenity of self examination, the crucible of the trial
  this man now looks into places once sealed off, inaccessible and hateful,
  now open, dealt with, understood, and replaced-
  with something new, organic, something not there before.

  His soul wailed, and he didn't know how to answer,
  he heard it quite clearly, but he didn't know, didn't care to know how to answer,
  and then he did, and it was, and it was
  he answered his wail and placed a question before himself,
  in the place of the past he walks, with his questions
  and he sees answers so brilliant that only he can see them
  so awfully blinding only he can see them
  so personal so fulfilling, palpable only he can see them

  this wizard

  this undeniable wordsmith, he brings the frame around these visions
  and captures them, no coaxes them, asks them to bring into meaning
  these things he has seen

  this wizard

  builds these things, these undeniable truths, unbearable and unanswerable
  he pushes them into meaning.
  there are no spells here, no incantations- this wizard
  cast's no magic. his magic is inherent, his magic is him.

Bio: Robert S. Fulk is a teacher and coach in Kentucky who is always searching for something interesting.  He writes often, reads more often, and enjoys spending time with his family, and working with his athletes.