This is a poem I came up with on a rainy day in April. I think it speaks to all of us who have strayed in the past and perhaps struggle now:
There is a forest
With tangled vines
And sharp thorns.
She wandered in,
Drawn to the roses
That lie on the forest's edge.
As she walked, she hardly noticed
The vines begin to creep up her legs.
The roses were too pretty
And the music too perfect.
She felt a shiver go up her spine,
But brushed it off as pleasure
Instead of premonition or fear.
Seemingly out of nowhere,
The vines have made their way
To her torso, slowly wrapping
Around, the thorns begin to hurt her.
She panics, terrified of what's happening
And unsure of what to do.
She tries to run,
But the vines are too tight.
The music turns ominous,
And a harsh laughter is heard.
"I knew I would capture you;
It was only a matter of time".
She can't find the voice,
Until she looks to her left
And sees a man.
He's beyond handsome,
At first glance.
But a dark, dangerous aura
Surrounds him.
His smile is predatory
And his voice silky smooth.
"You thought you could escape me"
She whispers fearfully, "Who are you?",
Shaking in fear and frustration
As the vines continue to tighten.
"You know who I am"
He replies.
And it dawns on her;
He lured her in with something tempting
And beautiful,
Just like before.
And she took the bait.
He promised the vines would let her go,
If she came with him.
He could show her wonders
And pleasurable things beyond her wildest dreams.
She hesitates, her fear causing her mind to blur.
Something deep inside of her screams,
"No, don't go with him! His evil will take you away!"
But she doesn't have the strength to resist,
As the vines slowly sap the life from her.
Just as she is about to agree to come,
A voice booms through the forest,
"Let her go!"
She turns around as best she can,
And she sees…a man?
Clothed in white,
Shining with a golden aura
That's impossible to duplicate.
She jumps in fright
As the first man screams
In anger and fear.
"How dare you take her from me?
She's mine!"
Then the man shining in golden light
Comes closer, his voice soft but strong,
"She may have been once,
But my book says otherwise"
The man pulls out a book from his pack
That the girl hadn't noticed before.
He opened the book,
And her name was there,
In the book.
"She is mine,
Not a slave to you."
The forest trembles,
And darkness covers her,
She is suffocating now,
As evil makes one last stand.
But the man in white cuts the vines,
Catching her as she falls.
The darkness fades as his light shines brightly,
And the evil man flees,
A look of hatred in his fearful eyes.
She looks up at him,
As she knows him from before.
Shame on her face
And tears running down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" she repeats,
Ashamed and guilty
Of what she had done.
But instead of facing the rejection she expected,
She felt him brush her tears away.
"Do not cry my child.
My love for you will never fade"
She whispers,
"But look what I have done,
How I have pulled away.
How could you ever forgive me?"
He tips her chin up,
And shows her the scars.
"I have done this for you,
And have taken your burden.
You have been redeemed by me.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you"
She clings to him now,
Sobbing in relief,
For he still loves her
More than she can imagine.
She is amazed and unable
To comprehend the depth of his love,
But realizes its truth.
She vows to never do what she had done again,
For she was dying inside.
But now she remembers
That he had set her free
All those years ago;
She just needed to find him again,
Even though he never left.