Just as the waves meet sand, a force of nature stopped at the stoics' door,
I was pulled into this whimsical place, an endless sea of peace for me to explore
Unaware of how I was brought here, I just hope the stork who dropped me plans to leave me forevermore
Spread before me lies a coastline of floral beauty, as if my inner mind designed this landscape
Silhouettes of my closest comrades begin to dance around me, their phantoms taking shape
Light glistens on the forest that dissolves into the sea, from this magical place I desire no escape
Up ahead I can see the outline of a gingerbread style cottage frame
Drawing me in with its' allure, my inner curiosity set aflame
The comfort of fire blazes the hearth, books outlining vast shelves, all beckoning me to claim
As I traverse through, I hear the whispers of wisdom wash over me -
A realization that my being is crafted from others, my actions often a mimicry
I am every person I've ever loved, every word I've ever read, every place I've ever seen
My thoughts are carved of these futile moments I belong to, each age of life I've hung my hat upon
Within this mystical garden, tranquility bathes me in its' knowledge, leaving the unforeseen future foregone
Lost is my ever-pressing need to explain my brain's inexplicable, my confusing layers now a vanished phenomenon
I lie in the rolling hills of this hollow for only a moment, if time here can even be quantified
Splitting laughter amongst my friends, their phantoms now personified
I recognize deeply that my future is already written, how nothing meant for me will pass me by
I grow to love my introspection here, no longer the burden that casts me out among others
My calculating mind now reveled for its' talents, long gone are the traitors who ran when it was this true me they discovered
I feel the September sun, the October comfort, this land an endless summer
The road back to the cottage is lined with roses where my thorns once so sharply grew
A pour over freshly made, you ask me how I like my coffee and I just say with you
I find beauty in my intensity, even if within the entirety of this whole world, I share this uniqueness with such few
I'd say that in this place I tore down my walls of protection, but candidly, they cease to exist
My constant need for an armor of protection evades my senses when it's only doves that fly in the midst
My abrasive demeanor has been diminished, replaced by my concealed tenderheartedness
Here, the spools of life are spun with ancient gold, a fountain of peace at the ready to fill my cup
I'm not drained by the cynics, I'm not asked too much of, I can release my gentle nature I keep so deeply hidden inside where reality can't corrupt
All this I feel so deeply in my bones, like this place could keep my feet tied to gravity -
And then I wake up