For All of my Girls on the Stream.. you know I love ya's!
They had for years wandered in darkness, forever engulfed in it, it consumed them. Their dreams, their passions, their zest for life itself. Lost, they wandered, without ever knowing hope, nor dreaming dreams, lost they were, not only to their world, but to themselves. They sat huddled in small circles, speaking only in short shallow whispers, patiently waiting for the instrument of their own demise to show itself to them, and to devour each in its own way. Fear and doubt was the nightly feast, it was all that they knew, until from out of their darkness came a voice to them. It spoke of hopes and dreams, and life lived to be shared.. The voice from out their darkness said something existed beyond the dark, something that they never dared whisper or even think about, the voice spoke to them of Light.
“I am Johan The Traveler, I have seen light, bright beyond belief, it lives in a place beyond the mountains, beyond the sea, far, far beyond all that you think you know of this place you walk. Follow my voice and I will help you not only find this light, but to live your lives in it. Come with me and dread not the despair of darkness, come with me to the Light.”
“Foolish Boy.. There is no light in this place. You speak of folly, for here there is only darkness and the death that waits in it.”
“No.. you are wrong, you do not live in darkness, you exist in it. You wait for death here, where it lives, where it breeds. Come with me to the light for only in that you will live.”
Many followed the voice of Johan the Traveler, even those who did not believe followed so they could prove him a liar. They followed Johan long into their endless night, through raging storms of snow, rain and ice, and always when they thought it too difficult to continue on their journey Johan was there to encourage them. Until they began to see the glow, beyond the mountains, beyond the sea, beyond all that they thought they knew. There.. Right there.. In the distance burned a brilliant hue of the brightest gold, for there burning in the distance, they saw a Light. Though some were amazed that such a beautiful sight could possibly exist, still the doubters doubted. They plotted throughout the remainder of the journey against Johan, they spoke secretly of peril, and murder. And when opportunity showed itself, they stabbed him and fled, back into the darkness from which they came, and Johan’s followers spoke to him for very last time they were frightened to go back into the endless night.
“Johan what must we do our friend? If you are to die we will not find the light without you, our dreams are for nothing.”
Johan sat up and drew a strong breath as he spoke to them calmly while the life slowly slipped from his body.
“My friends.. Why did you follow me for so long?”
“We do not know Johan.”
“Yes you do my friends.. You followed me because you dared to believe that somewhere there lived more than darkness, you believed that you could dream and have more life than ever before. You followed a dream, because you believed in it. You still must believe, or the light will die.”
Now frightened at the thought of the only light dying they gathered closer to their friend Johan.. He looked up at them.
“My Friends, there is no mysterious light beyond the mountains or sea that you seek, the light that guides you, the only light that you need Lives in your hopes and dreams, let it guide you, let it feed you, let yourselves believe, for as long as there are hopes and dreams,there is light, you must now leave and go forth. Go forth my friends. Live in the light.”
Scratch. © 2006.
