Come home, dear one
You left in search of what already was within
To fill a longing birthed years ago
Not safe
Or not enough
Or, perhaps, not worthy of love
The first arrow, this wound of longing, opened up.
“I can fix it! I will fix it! I will love me!”
With things
Success
With busyness or fame
Or food or starving
With drink or the screen
Or perfection
“Oh, how I’ve hurt me!
Why can’t I get this right?”
The second arrow, this wound of shame, opened up.
But perhaps there is a better way:
To see your searching, your substitutions
To ask, what’s under here?
To remember: love met longing and started your quest.
Come home, dear one.
You are not enemy, but caretaker
Reach out and join hands with your hurting self
“You were always worthy of love
Let’s be still now, for Love lives here
It blooms within.”
As you stop searching, you find it everywhere
You and Love forge a new path
Giving and receiving
Healing
Home
This poem was inspired by Tara Brach's teaching on Desire and Addiction: Voices of Longing, Part 2
