Fog

In the fog at dusk
I went walking
Through gray mist
Gathered round like hen feathers
Giving a sense of peace
Bringing my childhood to memory

I used to love coming down to the beach
On fogy days
I had a favorite rock
Where
I would stand
Unseen
Unheard
Singing to the sea
Songs that welled up inside of me
Nonsense and longing
Erased for a moment
All of the days
Thoughts that plagued me
I was left
With the feeling of being utterly alone
Yet fully attended by the solitude
In which the holy is present

In the gray
I could empty myself of shame and fear
And immerse myself in imagination
I sang of love and brokenness
Of hope and longing
Memories and desires
Everything I poured out was soaked up by
Surrounding gray
My secrets were safe
They would retreat back into the sea
As the sun burned through the fog

As an adult I felt nervous about being alone in the fog
I did not want to leave the comfort of the sun
For a moment of isolation and spiritual solitude
As I entered
I felt within me
A familiar song

One
Not heard for quite some time
I did not sing it
As loud as I once might have
But it came to me
As a sweet secret
Whispered

Here,I
sacred found
In this space of in between
Hanging round
Like a shroud
Subtle,
Mine to treasure