9.21.2006

The Teacher

The Teacher
Looked into
My eyes
And said
"You have
A beautiful soul"

And i wanted to ask
what it was that he saw

But at that time
There was
An arc of light a
Above his head

Pale but certain
Streaming with needles

It would not be moved

i said to myself
This man will be
My guide

And i embarked

It is a long road
A crowded
But lonely journey
Leading --

No one knows

But i know this:

i will grow
Only insofar
As i trust

Only insofar
As my fears
Are not my masters.

i will shout to you
From all along
This road

Streaming needles
Of love and longing
Lonely learning
A burning beacon
Shone on
You.

Free from torment
At last
i am
On the long
Lonely road
Home.


--Mr. Gobley

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mr. G- aren't we always on that road? Or, aren't we always headed in a direction of our own choosing- away from here and hopefully toward home?

Is it when we discover we are on this road that the journey begins- or that we just realize we have always been on the journey regardless of our thoughtlessness?

Sigh. No matter how aware i become, it only icreases my awareness of my thoughtlessness.

One thing i do know. Your Teacher is a genius because you do have "a beautiful soul"- poetry like this would never pour forth from anything but... and i pray you beat down your fears and become aware, too- that no matter how lonely, you are not alone.

PS Autumn begins three minutes after midnight, but for me she came to be at 11:28 pm(right after Monday Night Football). She will be 15 yrs old tomorrow :0).

Mr. Gobley said...

Karen:

Always a pleasure and an honor to hear from you.

Your question is an excellent one. Was Moses the only one ever to see God in a burning bush? Or do we all miss thousands of such silently waiting encounters each lifetime?

Anonymous said...

And do we willfully refuse to see, or are we just that immature to not realize?

My son is studying poetry and needed a poem off the internet. I gladly let him borrow my treasured book of poems, by my favourite poet whom i met on the internet. Of all the poems you've included in your book, he chose ~Not Two...~

Maybe we can refuse to see, but not completely ignore- to feel.

Flying Cat said...

Mr. Gobley,

I've been reading your blog...I'm honored that you took the time to comment to me about mine.

We have similar thoughts, but your wording is much more beautifully displayed and oh so gentle...like a soft rain. Wonderful.

Thank you again.