The Return

Janelle Curlin-Taylor

July 4, 2021

The sense of having walked from

inside yourself out into the revelation.

David Whyte  

How do I return to walk

Far inside myself?

A place of mystery, domain of the Shadow.

No one has ever been there but me.

And me, I left as quickly as I could.

Chasing after the revelation I believed

To be far outside myself.

"Self-absorbed," the religion of Empire said

Of those who spent too much time far inside.

"Parochial," said the academy, "narrow,

Lacking curiosity."

And now I come,

So much of my life spent

In pursuit of the revelation out there.

Wandering, following a curiosity all my own.

To listen to the music of the dark mystery

Far inside myself.

The poems bade me reenter

To seek this dark mystery

Of which they often spoke

In a language I barely understood.

And only now I recognize the rhythm

Is my own.

Janelle Curlin-Taylor is descended from several generations of Texas poets. Her poetry has appeared in the di-verse-city Anthology, Blue Hole, Best Austin Poetry 2018-2019, Waco WordFest Anthology 2020, Texas Poetry Calendar 2021, and Texas Poetry Assignment. She is married to California poet Jeffrey Taylor.