The Kingdom of Heaven is near.
it's just around the corner
just under the veil.
Oh, if I could just identify
that corner that I might turn it.
Oh, see the veil that I might lift it.
If only I could see past my own perceptions
to reach the freedom of the Kingdom of Heaven.
How long must Truth be elusive?
Like chasing my own Shadow.
As real as it is, I can never catch it.
The harder I try, the more frustrated I become.
And yet—it remains.
That elusive shadow of Truth—
as close and as clear as it ever has been;
for one and for all.
So, I will give up the struggle and learn to play with my Shadow;
learn to listen and appreciate such Truth.
Some days, I will ignore it,
knowing full well that my acknowledgment or lack thereof
has minimal effect on the existence of such an elusive Shadow.
The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
And the Ancestors, who have left us many clues,
but even more questions,
These Ancestors laugh joyously at our human foolishness;
Our very human limitations that prevent us—keep us from entering
The Kingdom more fully.
So I will put on my white dress,
and I will dance barefoot in the grass.
Dance, I will.
Yes!
Dance to the beat of life itself.
Children will laugh more than they cry
And all around hope blossoms
like wildflowers whispering of winters past.
Dance to the rhythm of the radiant sun that casts out all Shadows,
Reminders of what lies just out of reach.
There will be times to console, time to cook, to cry, to consume;
All the while Dancing
That I might take my elusive Shadow through the Pearly Gates.
Dancing all the way.
Bridget Frese Hutchens is a curator of beauty, a steward of healing, and a seeker of light. She does this as a mother, a wife, a writer, and a nurse-midwife working in academia. You can find out more about her here.