(Escape from Pain, Waking Up Again)
Who is this "me" I speak of and Obsess over so often? This is me: I am a man. I hike, I breathe. I write and take pictures. I love some and Laugh a lot. Wait, no. That's not me. This is me: I think, so I am. I solve business and Technical problems. Better yet, I Anticipate them and so Avoid them. I lead teams, Make them better than The sum of their parts. I plan, therefore I am. Wait no. That's not me, either. This is me, The real me: I am More than my body, More than my mind. I am Transcendent in this sacred space. I am Resting like an infant in Your everlasting arms, So, I am eternal. When I am not my body, Joy courses through My ethereal veins. When I am not my mind, Peace permeates my being, Renewed each time Beauty touches me, The real me— A rose whose petals Glow in golden afternoon light Or hide in cool shadows, Absorbing warmth but Resting from the heat Of the day. In the arms of the One who carries me Into eternity, Today cannot hurt me. Tomorrow does not exist. This is how I escape From pain, from fear; This is how I immerse myself In a pool of Peace: I reach for You and I don't let the "me"s who are not me Get in the way. David K. Carpenter June 11, 2023
