The Heart's Pilgrimage in the Realm of Light
Or, Meditations Upon the Eternal Dance of Sun, Season, and Soul Beneath Heaven's Gates — probably the best poem ever written. Top Story worthy.
The sun it shines with hope, joy, warmth, and rebirth.
Its rays do radiate and allow us to bask in love,
not love of one another, or the other, and the other,
but love from the divine, the creator and the ruler.
~
With every sunrise, the sun kisses the meadow awake.
The earth is bathed in the golden light of a new day.
Did you see the first blush of dawn in the morn,
as she spread her rosy fingers and smiled down?
~
Did you feel renewed as the golden hues spilled like honey
over the hills, in the distance, to the streams and brooks,
dancing and shimmering its iridescence on the watery surface,
reflecting the light of truth, of clarity, of salvation?
~
Before Old Jack and Jill Frost clutch the land,
in the grasp of their icy and bony fingers,
Autumn's fiery crown burned on the hills and valleys.
Nature's neverending cycle reminds us of our own.
~
As sure as spring follows winter, rejoicing follows heartache.
Time, ours and the world's, like the seasons, is never still.
Listen, please, to the whispering wind carrying my thoughts,
as the babbling brook sang its elegies and ballads to my soul.
~
While the leaves murmured the great secrets of the earth,
lose yourself, with me, in nature's warm and enriching embrace.
Let each step upon the path before us be a prayer.
Listen to the response; let nature be the teacher, the healer.
~
Walking in nature, nature flowing in me, has always been a journey
of self-discovery. As time stands still, we feel at one with
it all — the universe, time, memorial. The ground rumbles silently.
And when raindrops fall, like teardrops upon my poignant soul,
~
I found my truth, the truth about contentment, beneath heaven's gates,
under the canopy of the might and splendour of creation itself,
as the sunsets and brings with it heartache, but also hope and chance,
for a new day, a new beginning, a new…
*
Thanks for reading!
Author's Notes: If I wrote this in the 1820s, I'd be a rich man, possibly. Now... not so sure. Blame John Cox.
The challenge was laid down.

So, above is the best poem ever. Top Story should be winging its way to me soon.
About the Creator
Paul Stewart
Award-Winning Writer, Poet, Scottish-Italian, Subversive.
The Accidental Poet - Poetry Collection out now!
Streams and Scratches in My Mind coming soon!


Comments (9)
You took your vitamin D!!!!! This feeds my heart and soul with what I want to take in. I do not find this overly polyanna... but a way of directing intention to where you want to go in these dark days... so glad you met john cox's challenge with such grace and elegance... kuddos to you for not being limited to the dismal that is easier to notice in everyday life-- especially with all sorts of climate changes... lovely work
You must have been in a serious mood for this one Paul. Nice job, and I love your confidence. 😉😉
I guess it’s Opposite Day. I could feel you grinding your teeth as you wrote this horrid, rosy hued fluff. Now, as promised, I’m obligated to write something even more treacly than this in response. I’m trembling with excitement, truly. Both of us will have to join bad poets anonymous after this debacle. I’m genuinely sorry, Paul, that your first commenters failed to note how tightly your tongue was ensconced in your cheek. I pretty much giggled throughout since I saw what fun you had at expense of the average saccharine poet. Some of my favorite howlers in no particular order: Before old Jack and Jill Frost clutch the land, in their icy and bony fingers… (truly abhorrent imagery - that will be hard to top) Did you feel renewed when the golden hues spilled down like honey… (I gagged a little after this one) I found my truth, the truth of contentment, beneath Heaven’s gates. (This is so devious that I felt obligated to applaud it) As sure as spring follows winter, rejoicing follows heartache… (this is both cheeky and utter bollocks!) And finally, I laughed out-loud at your ending, especially at what you didn’t write:
What an epic poem you have written for us.
Indeed, the sun and TS gods should shine down upon his offering!
Warmth and light - perfect way to settle into the bright part of one’s soul today. Beautifully made, lovely Paul!
pretty mesmerizing one, Sir Paul
A prayerful, introspective and beautiful ode to nature, Paul.
I love that you don’t back down from unofficial challenges, Paul. You certainly made a wonderful poem out of it. A bit more optimistic than I’m feeling lately, but I love it. The imagery is particularly sublime, and I love how it feels like a prayer to nature itself.