Dancing along the treeline

Dancing along the Treeline

The sentient forest of the self
Where each tree is a truth of who you are
This canopy stride holds only realities, not dreams
It is present, prescient, and purposeful

Not all are brave enough to face a walk amongst the truths
Where the mirror you see has only the piercing eyes of honesty
Blinking ceases and self-awareness fills the void
You are utterly alone with your true self

There are pretenders that tell you they walk the forest
They articulate deep and, seemingly, meaningful thoughts
Many are impressed by their awareness and search for truth
They are convincing to others because they have convinced themselves

But they are not forest walkers who pass between meadow and shade
They are not deep thinkers who seek the truth in the language of the world
They are not soul searchers on a quest to understand their place in the Universe
They are vampires of the soul and use their articulated tongues to feed off the unwary

They are parasites of the mind, who tiptoe around the truth with vague specifics
They seek the spotlight of sympathy with a façade of empathy
They steal the moments of truth and wrap them up in uncertainty
They draw the eye of the truth-seeker, in their attire of iridescent lies

The pure can be easily duped by these dancers
They are practised at drawing the spotlight
They have honed their self-deprecating skills
They instinctively know your weaknesses

Just as any predator knows the patterns of its prey

The hunt is their real pleasure, not the proffered destination
They, like many predators, play the long game
The slow drip of the tap is apt to fool the deep thinkers

Deep thinking has its trapdoors
It is also often unaware it can be fooled
It is this very flaw that the predator exploits

There are none so blind as those that will not see

Lessons come from errors
Experience is the result
Wisdom comes from age + experience
That is why predators prey on the younger prey

Where they can hide in the gaps of awareness
Skip between the shadows of inexperience
Feed off the preys’ desire to understand
Deplete the energy of the target through emotional theft

Some people live permanently in the meadows of life
The forest is just a distant border they have no desire to see
Ignorance may indeed be a form of ignorant bliss
Forever diminished by a lack of awareness & truth

There are those that are happy to live near the forest
So that they may visit whenever they choose
To bask in the cool shade of honesty and truth,
and as such, appreciate the sunlit meadow and their place in it

These are the truth seekers
The powerfully vulnerable amongst us
These are the gifted few who speak to the soul of the world
These are the warriors of light

They are the guides for others wishing to navigate the forest
They are the certainty’s in other people’s eyes
They are the significant moments in others’ worlds
They are the reflections of love for the true world around us

They have true energy, fresh from the source
They have a glow that not all can quite see
They have a purpose that drives them to seek
They have the mark of the sorrow experienced

They are the seekers of a personal legend

The interpreters of the language of love

                              The well of honesty for others to drink from

The compass for wanderers to borrow

                          The pole star for daydreamers to follow

The sage for the guided to quote

                                 The memory that never will fade

The honesty you do not want to hear

                                  The mirror that removes all the make-up

The soul that will heal your heart

                                   The heart that replenishes your soul

Those that wait at the edge of the forest,
for their guide to appear amongst the shade of the trees
Will often see the shadows of the predators,
as they too wait for the forest walkers to appear, so that they may start their façade

Many predators of this world have honour in their souls
The Wolf has integrity and code
The Tiger has the mothering gift
The Grizzly Bear has a playful soul

But our predator of the mind has none of these qualities
It has neither the courage to enter the forest alone,
nor the courage to live in the light

It is a shadow creature with no discernible qualities of note

It simply seeks to steal your energy from the true source
With an insatiable appetite for feeding
With a whirlpool of deception to keep you attached to the undercurrent,
and a twisting, writhing, contorting, communication style to avoid you disconnecting its food source

Keep your eye out for these foul creatures as you leave the forest of truth

Shield your eyes from the sun in the meadow as you leave the shade

Look not for these foul beasts in the distance, as the true seekers gather for guidance, for that is not where they will be

Be aware in the periphery of your vision, for they will be found dancing along the treeline

© Iain Merchant 2020