There is an exquisite garden
I go to when life gets hard to bear:
I wander there in great despair,
Hoping someone will hear & care.

It's not outside in the forest,
Nor by a peaceful lake;
It's someplace only I can find,
It's a tranquil road open only to me.

When I walk through it
The darkness is filled with light;
Sorrows & pain dissolve away,
Like tears down a windowpane
And I feel extremely more alive!

Have you figured out where I am
Or where I could be hiding?
I haven't gone on vacation,
And the city hasn't seen the last of me,
Because I'm never too far away.

The closest place to Heaven
Is the avenue I travel across
in my dreams.
It leads straight to my heart --
The inner chamber where
His majestic throne resides.

This is where I go when I hurt;
When the world feels like a tornado
And a volcano have collided!
Subsequently, I'm buried deeply
in the shrapnel.

Sometimes I don't want to return
When lonely voices call me back.
I know they need me here,
But, sometimes I want to remain.

Since I know I can't remain,
Because the stars cry
That this is not my time,
I'll go . . . but only in disgrace . . .
Considering that maybe
I've lost my way for good.

Whereas, I wake up with tears
in my eyes,
I know that what I just thought
Was a consummate lie,
Still I'm consumed with fears
So much I can't think straight!

Will I ever be able to enter
The sacred garden without
Worrying about leaving again?
Or will there come a time I can stay?

Until I'm scared or troubled anew,
I'll have to get ready for the day.
Hopefully I can escape once more
Down the alley that beckons me.
Maybe . . . someday . . . soon. . . .


© Kris Bailey
2-26-23.