As clear as the mirror

I didn’t sleep last night.
And in the shimmering dawn,
I went out to see what was beyond.

All I found was myself,
as clear as the reflection in a mirror.

The silent road.
Empty fields.
Vast blue sky.
Distant houses.
Deep hills.

Not a whisper of wind.
A thick, still air.

It felt as if they were all weeping.
As if they were all alone.
Waiting, restless.
Agonized by solitude.

And yet, here I am.
Even with the heart occupied,
Even with past choices I cannot undo,
I am here.

Then the sun rises.
A flash of light hits my face.
And as I walk deeper into the forest,
I hear it�"the chirping of birds,
the songs of insects,
the murmuring river.

I sit by the river and cry with it,
letting it wash away my regrets.
I make amends to myself.

And then I see children,
giggling, throwing stones at the river,
arguing who threw the farthest.

I think: no matter what we throw into the river of life�"
our regrets, our dreams, our tiny hopes�"
if we throw it with the right angle,
the right force,
it can skip, dance across the water,
and maybe, one day,
we’ll laugh about it with those we hold dear.

Perhaps that is life.
Throwing stones.
Making memories.
Chasing tiny goals.

With effort and perspective,
new dreams appear.
New memories await.

Nature reminds me: silent yet moving.
Alone, yet whole.

And that, I think, will help.
Moving forward with a flicker of hope,
a hill of patience,
and a pint of optimism�"
because that’s all life truly is.

As clear as in the mirror.