The Pagan Story Of You?

The Pagan Story Of You?


In your childhood was there
one moment of pure clarity
when the religious walls of your fathers
fell away and all that you had accepted
as truth without question
made absolutely no sense anymore?
And did this leave you confused,
adrift, and alone?

In your adolescence, when you
began to search in earnest
for knowledge and sought expression
of your ever evolving beliefs system,
did you suddenly find yourself
shunned for your differences,
misunderstood because of stereotypes,
and branded with the scarlett letter,
'W' for witch,
that proclaimed you a heretic and outcast?
And did you slowly feel yourself
drifting away from your family ties
that bound you in conformity?
Was there abuse hidden somwhere
within the scope of your past
that further propelled you
along your chosen course?

As you grew and your faith
developed beyond rebellion,
did your family demand repentence
for unconditional love?
Did they bind you in the
chains of shame and guilt
as they cast you to the brimstone?
And were you left scared, desolate, and alone?

If this is your story, then you should
surely know that it is mine, as well.
We, each of us, feel at odds with the world,
disconnected and held at arms length.
We are all searching for solace
as best we can, in a world that
cannot embrace our respective
individual truths. But the truth
that is hidden even from us,
each other, ourselves,
is that our pain is not unique and
we are not alone in our struggle to survive.
Through adversity there truly is strength.
And with that realization, hand and hand,
we will see tomorrow dawn
in the light of a new Pagan Sun.


Author's Notes: I reiterate this in alot of my poetry, that we are not alone on this journey because alot of Pagans feel so disconnected that they forget that theirs is not a unique situation. We are all floating in the same boat, looking in different directions. Communities like Witchvox make that issue much more prevalent, but also allow us to share our experiences with one another so that we can realize that we are not alone. Places like this make the prospect of seeing another day's dawn a little brighter.

So I will say it again. Please realize that you do not walk alone in this world. We walk with you. You are loved. You are special. And you are worthy of hope.