And I Saw Her Face

I was lost on back streets at dusk and confused by accusatory voices of strangers; I was met by secret intermediaries at dark temples of mistrust; a priest told me it was expedient for my soul to repent of harsh sentiments toward the feminine and the desire to maintain control. I was incriminated by a petty thief for absconding with holy water from the sanctuary when I was desolate and dying of thirst; I made alliances with pirates of pride and co-defendants struck down and dead inside; I had an affinity for black marble stormy skies and languishing girls with cemetery eyes. A crippled child comforting his homeless mother told me if I wanted to I could survive; I loitered for days in loneliness beside a fresh grave reciting poetry and prayers to resurrect my potential; I was reverential in the rain for the tears of another lifetime. I was afforded the protection of love while friends were terrorized and denied by people who should have kindly kissed their eyes; I spent summer solstice guided by an inner light, met a girl at the university who gave me her bracelet in the night and revealed a path forward if I only had the courage to begin my journey.