I stepped into a long dark stripe
where it seems to have been
a lonely journey
down the shadowed canyons of my thought,
along the ever-stretching landscape
where I have held myself
trimmed to the wind of years,
beating my course
in its ragged tacks,
undercurrents pulling me sideways
as I strive to bring myself
to the place where I can see progress

It’s a wearying perspective,
not one in which I choose to stay for long —
sun stripes, too, can make their mark
across my vision.

©Wendy Mulhern
August 5, 2015