I saw my own death

Standing there amidst the pines

Whose needle like leaves ensconced

His powerful stature.

Unsure of the path between He and I,

I whispered sweet nothings into the ethers

Trembling as I tip-toed through the brush

Trying to anticipate His every move

Undulating sweat pouring forth

From my body,

Hands clenched in fervent prayer,

I drew closer to this ominous figure

Whose light and darkness

Confounded my soul since ever I could remember.

He grabbed me with such an intensity

I fell silent as though the beat of my heart

Dissipated into the abyss.

I gathered what courage I could and looked

deeply into His eyes.

Unable to utter a word, tears strolled down my cheeks.

I didn’t know why I was there

Or why He was there for that matter.

Wanting to escape into the shelter of those trees

His mighty arms embraced me.

“I love you. I love you, I love you.”

Flabbergasted, I stared into death’s eyes again.

“I love you,” He said with such a radiant warmth

That I was able to feel my heartbeat again.

A softness enveloped the space between us

I was no longer afraid of Him

No longer afraid of death

And no longer afraid of the path between us.

Laura Aversano