Poetry | Guiding Us Home

This original piece is a reflection on the raw, transformative nature of getting lost—of stepping into the unknown, feeling both lost and deeply connected at the same time. It speaks to the moments of uncertainty, the kindness of strangers, and the ways in which unfamiliar places challenge and reshape us.

Through personal experiences, it explores the tension between independence and connection, fear and faith, and ultimately, the profound beauty of finding a home in the world. Let these words be an invitation to embrace the unknown, to trust in the journey, and to recognize that even in the most unfamiliar places, there is always something guiding us forward.

Thank you to Dandelion Music for the background music.

Transcript

I miss the feeling of my nervous little heart pounding as I step on a crowded bus for $0.

35 on the side of the highway in Bolivia and stumble out the words in broken Spanish asking how to get where I am going.

Estás solita?

They ask me in surprise.

Are you alone?

Yes.

Most indefinitely,

Yes,

Yet somehow feeling simultaneously connected,

Terrified,

As much on the precipice of something as I have ever been.

Of what?

I don't know.

But isn't that the point of all this?

To get lost,

To be afraid,

To stand on your own two competent feet,

To lose all your money on the unfamiliar train in Sri Lanka,

And have to rely on the kindness of strangers as you speak through sweet eyes and good intentions on how to find your way.

That's what all this is in the end,

The connection,

The wavering between your faith,

The disconnect,

The cynicism,

And then right around again,

Home.

To this web of connection that as hard as we try to break free,

Be different,

Independent,

Strong,

And all the other things we are supposed to be.

It's the moment of softness when your eyes well up because you miss your home and the ease of the familiar days you are used to.

When you meet the wild eyes of a loving stranger,

Or you drop to your knees in the grass and praise the sweet air.

It's the first time you walk through the streets of Tokyo and realize that everything you know means little here,

Because your lens of the world is now the moodest of points.

It is in these moments that this strange feeling begins to sink in,

That none of this matters,

Yet somehow,

At the same time,

It is everything that does.

Reviews

Such soft and real expression. 🙏😊

Lovely… just lovely…

Thank you, “dear friend I’ve never met”, for sharing that glimpse into the warmth of your soul! Color me grateful.

Thank you for this. I’m so glad to have found you here on Insight Timer. Your words speak to my heart and my essence.

Very poignant, thank you for this interesting poem, a reflection of the world. Blessings 🙌