Odyssey
Bravely, together we journey
Across the waters of the cosmic sea
Through the universe, to the unknown
In this ship we call our home
In this life we call our own
A stray wave rocks us to and for,
As we knock against a meteor
Shaken, I lament
“This vessel is insufficient!”
Looking at a dent
In the metal hull, shiny
Sheen, mirroring back at me
Disgusted, I gaze away, outward
The black waters rise and pull me toward
Perfect emptiness dotted with light
Impossibly far yet so bright.
Gleaming incandescent,
Sublime and magnificent
The distant bright bodies, seemingly flawless
Beckon, call to me, in my weakness
Hastily I jump ship,
Hoping to seek perfection
In self annihilation
Only to find with emptiness
Comes nothingness
no walls, but no ground
no limits, but no meaning
no rules, but no rhyme
I gag and choke on the darkness
Swallowing the blackness
I drift through the infinite vastness
Barely human but a creature
Shifted to fit the murky emptiness
Cursing its own existence
Then somehow you find me
Deftly, expertly you reel me
In from the edges of sanity
And despite my thrashing
My gaping maw clashing
And undirected lashing
out, though my pain is within
You bring my closer with kind affection
You calm me down and fill me with your glow
The warmest, truest love I’ll ever know
Your tender touch and caring heart
Keep me from ripping apart
Your patience cools me down
When I burn dangerously bright
Your compassion warms me up
When I’m frigid, devoid of light
You set me back aboard our vessel
As the pitch and muck I expel
I gag, I cry, I remember my humanity
Without you I’d lose myself completely
With fresh eyes I gaze at the dented hull,
Insight fills me and I laugh, joyful
Smiling at our beautiful, distorted reflection
There is no perfection, there is only perception
With renewed spirit we continue on our odyssey
In this perfectly imperfect ship called you and me