Headlight on the Hilltop

author’s note:

I’m living in outer space.  But so is everyone else.


HEADLIGHT ON THE HILLTOP

Yeah—
what I saw was probably
just a car headlight
switching from low to bright
up there atop the hill.

Nonetheless
the sight thrilled my heart
and hypnotized my eyes.

So when the light blinked off
a minute or so later
I searched the heavens
hoping it might reappear.

But no—
all I saw was a litter of stars.

But so many—
more than I could possibly take in.

Once again
I realized my little mind
could never ever even begin to comprehend
this grand production
called
“The Universe”.

Once again I thought:
I’m but a wee bit of stardust
in an endless ocean of wonder.

Yeah, probably just a headlight
switching from low to bright.

But a blessed event, nonetheless
because I used that flash
to remind myself:

We’re just a miniscule drop in the cosmos.

But that means:

we’re part of something magnificently mysterious.

And that means:

like all the other pieces
you and I are beautiful secrets.

mythsteps · Headlight on the Hilltop

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Fable of the Clam Who Opened

author’s note:

Planning a vacation?


FABLE OF THE CLAM WHO OPENED

She left a note
for the old woman upstairs
saying:
don’t worry—
just wanted to realize the dream
of escaping to
a tropical island.

But as often happens to human clams
as she lay on the beach
the tide crept up and pulled her down—
down through the shallows
until she fell from the shelf
into that roiling murky bay bottom.

Frightened by the depth
she closed even more
which only increased the pressure—
the pressure that comes
when a clam clamps down on itself
and tries not to feel what it’s feeling.

No longer able to ignore the pressure
she realized she’d soon explode
if she didn’t let go.
And so she finally opened:

an action that brought her back to the beach—
she awoke shaken but stronger.

Many have shared their own version of this fable:
when we try to escape change
the better one within
may pull us down into an ordeal
that will only end when we end
our resistance.

Good to remember that moral.
But let’s also inscribe on our minds
the second part of the story:

In the following years
many in distress
crossed the path of our heroine
and when they sensed her openness
often responded
by opening to her

and as they gave themselves up
they released the pressure building within
and so, did not explode
but defused with a peaceful song:

wave upon wave of notes—
high and low, low and high.

mythsteps · Fable of the Clam Who Opened

33 1/3 New Fables & Myths
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© 2024, Michael R. Patton

The Center of the World

author’s note:

At the age of nine, Black Elk experienced a vision in which he stood at the center of the world–Harney Peak, South Dakota.

But in the same moment, he understood that every place on Earth is also the center.


THE CENTER OF THE WORLD

When I was small
I often felt quite small

so I’d climb a nearby hill

and at the top
I’d survey all below me
and imagine I was standing
at The Center of the World.

At such moments
I’d vow to myself:
one day I’ll be at the top
and all those people
will look up at me
and finally see my light.

Alas, as an adult
I’ve failed to realize
that dizzy ambition.
But though my ego is finally willing
to accept defeat
forces within keep driving me.

So I still feel frustrated.

But I’ve found a way to find relief:
I return to that hill of my childhood.

However, now
when I climb to the top
I don’t wish to inflate—
no, I go for perspective

because when I gaze down
at our human life below
the game called “success”
can seem so small.

But if I then begin
to feel above it all
I’ll tell myself:
yeah, you’re at
The Center of the World

but so is everyone else on this planet.

mythsteps · The Center of the World

Get the Message: a short guide for understanding dreams
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© 2024, Michael R. Patton

Between a Lion & a Worm

author’s note:

“Red wigglers…the Cadillac of worms!”
      — from the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati


BETWEEN A LION & A WORM

The phenomenon known
as shape shifting
is a common occurrence.
Consider:

I’ve seen lions become worms
and hide under stones
after accepting the lie told to them.

But that need not be a tragedy—
a big cat can benefit
from living subterranean

because as a worm
it can feed upon
the rich life to be found
in the loam below the surface.

But as that grubber expands
its safe space
will began to feel
suffocating.

The crawler must then decide:
will I die as a worm
or emerge

and live as a lion?

I predict:
when we look back
on our worm-life
we will reject all regrets

because then
we’ll be able to see
all we learned
in our life as a worm.

mythsteps · Between a Lion and a Worm

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