A flash of tan dissolves into dark earth
my dog friend gone, led astray by his nose
seeking the scent of a rabbit.
I call and call
my fear bouncing off ponderosa trunks
their sweet vanilla suddenly grown sour.
“Lester, Lester come back!”
But the forest stays silent—
no clinking of tags
no pant of breath.
I turn and turn
look deep into the foliage
calling, calling
tears rising in my throat.
Lester is gone
and so am I,
both lost from our master.
Silently, I chant my mantra
but my attachment
fizzles the connection.
Instead of my Beloved’s image,
I see Lester alone in the forest
in the dark of night.
A lion tracking him.
Lester is wily
but not fast.
He is a hunter or rats and rabbits,
gophers and flies.
He is easy prey.
And I am too now as I call and call
seeking that outward solution,
his butterscotch coat snaking over fallen logs
into my arms.
But he doesn’t come
and light has left the forest,
now a shifting maze of shadows,
so I can barely see the trail.
I climb onto a rock and call
“Lester, Lester, Mister Lester.”
I listen,
hear distant traffic whoosh
like an ocean
but no paws step
no brush bends.
Lost to the sound of my Lover’s voice,
I am vulnerable to the lion inside me
the predator that steals my eternity,
my safety, my love.
All expansiveness is gone.
Instead, I am just a body
seeking a dog
under a sickle moon.
Until I let go and know:
this is his perfect teaching.
He too is eternal,
with his own crucial lesson.
If he is to die by claw or thirst
to learn to honor his master
in the next round…
So be it.
If I am to die by loss,
the ache of his absence
so I never release
my Inner Master’s hand…
So be it.
All are opportunities.
Every moment a teaching,
even that tear like glue
binding me to You, Beloved.
So we can fly in the freedom
of Your love
knowing that we live beyond this flesh and forest
beyond the heartache of loss in this great
rushing and still infinity.
And then…
movement in the distance…
a flash of tan that grows larger
as it trips among boulders
and weaves between trees.
“Lester, you’re here!”
As usual Leslie, beautiful images.
Thank you, Bob. I so appreciate you reading and commenting. 🙂
Oh, how you hit the nail right on my thumb! What an astonishing metaphor for our lives as we balance the physical with the spiritual, the duties and feelings with the Master’s calling to us. What a gift this poem is!
Thank you, Rudy. I love the twisted saying about hitting the nail–haha! Yes, isn’t it a beautiful dance this life in the physical always transforming us into the spiritual. We are so blessed!
Oh wow I was right there in the forest with you Lesley…. I lost Hazel recently and experienced all the feels you so eloquently articulated. I got so outcreated in the moment and it wasn’t until I remembered to call on the Friend that I got to see the perfection in the experience, no matter what the outcome was going to be. Grace came shortly afterward (it seemed like forever in my mind though) in the form of Hazel trotting up the trail😊
Colleen, I’m so happy to hear that Hazel returned and that you had your beautiful lesson around this. Seeing life’s perfection, its truth through the Beloved’s lens, is everything. Thank you for sharing that with me, and give Hazel a big hug!
Thank you Lesley:
A wonderful description of the same emotions I have experienced in my Life’s Journey. My Samskara of being alone is my current work in progress. Sending you light—-John
John, with your love of your dog, I am sure you’ve had your scares. Glad to hear that you are approaching this latest challenge with a progressive attitude. You’re definitely in a new phase. Thank you for sharing your journey here.
Heartwarming & full of Love. I cherish the situations that unwind from your life to move the reader into a place of unexpected joy. ✨️ Thank you, dearest Leslie.💖
Monica Zmuda
Thank you, Monica. Yes, we are so blessed to have these opportunities that open to higher truth.
Lesley, absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful insight, especially at a time when the darkness of this pandemic continues to overshadow. Your poetry provides such a much needed light and sound. Mark
Love this, Lesley. Thank you for sharing your gift.