Shadow Dancers

There are many shadows within the garden.  The flowers don’t bloom in the darkness, the pathways are overgrown, and the pools are no longer clear. They are murky and cloudy, and I see no fish in their depths.

Yet there is a peace and quietness within the garden.  It is an echo of things that were, like a whisper or a ghost image.  In the early mornings when a mist floats through the garden before the morning sun melts it away, legend has it that the shadow dancers still dance among the pathways.  If you listen carefully you may hear a night bird’s song and smell the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle in the air.  It is said that in the early hours just before dawn that two lovers sit hand in hand on the stone bench just inside the garden gate watching the shadow dancers.

Today the sun is high in the sky and the garden is silent.  The garden gate is rusty and the birdbaths empty.  Hidden within a secret grotto at the back of the garden a poet sits alone, the inspiration gone, the lovers gone, and the shadow dancers are nowhere to be found.

Perhaps it is time to leave the garden and return when the night brings the garden to life and a poet’s inspiration is there to be found.  Then if you listen carefully you might hear their footsteps and a gentle laughter or whisper, the shadow dancers need the night to dance in the moonlight.  They need us to believe in them for them to exist.  The garden is our imagination and our dreams.

In life we must always carry the garden tucked away for when we need a quiet moment or for a while to believe in the magic and mystery of life.  We need to be able to believe that love walks within the garden and the poet’s words flow upon the pages of our life.

We challenge ourselves to be bold and fearless.  We truly believe that we can be an engine for change and innovation.

In the garden we have many things, a garden swing, a garden gate, pathways and fountains, all the things to allow our imagination to be bondless and unleashed.  Far too soon the morning comes, and we wave goodbye to the shadow dancers and embrace the new day.  A day filled with drive and ambitions.  We challenge ourselves to be bold and fearless.  We truly believe that we can be an engine for change and innovation.  We should invite others to walk with us on our journey helping them to reach their goals and to realize their dreams and ambitions.

Point Of View

I think our hopes and dreams live in a different part of our world than our goals and ambitions.  To remain true to our self we need to embrace both and cross over often.  We need both to be whole.  We can be both dragon slayer and poet.  We can be both innovative and contemplative.  In truth I find comfort in being both an extrovert and introvert.  I need both to be whole.

We look forward to the sunrise to give us new hope yet embrace the night as the place where our dreams live.  Perhaps it is in that moment just before the dawn that they walk hand in hand not wanting to say goodbye.