Sunday, December 8, 2013

The First Tears

As an old witch stands in the silence of the woods, apart from the din of humanity, a gentle rain begins to fall.
The thought that comes to mind is that this gentle rain is tears falling from the heavens.
Tears which fell from those who went before us and which were swept up to the skies, ancient tears which are falling back to the earth as a symbol of both sorrow and joy.
For life without death is an empty illusion. Joy without sorrow is a partial lesson.
And so I begin to wonder about who shed the first tears and why.
Were they tears of fear as the unknown swirled about just beyond the edge of darkness?
Were they tears of joy as the morning sun rose and cast about its warming rays, bringing forth another day of life?
Were they tears of anguish at the loss of a loved one?
Were they tears of triumph brought on by overcoming a seemingly insurmountable obstacle?
Were they tears of anger brought on by the misconceptions of humankind?
And who was it that shed these first tears?
Were they a man or a woman?
Did they realize the profound significance of such a seemingly simple act?
And so with a deep sigh, this old witch also shed a few tears while standing in the gentle autumn rain. My hope is that these tears will also be swept up to the heavens.
And that one day they will fall to earth when humankind has matured beyond its violent tendencies and has learned to embrace compassion for others.
That they will fall when humankind has re-embraced the village concept, thus moving beyond the self-absorption that stymies the growth of spirit.
That they will fall on a quiet autumn morning, lost in the silence of the woods…