On walks with the dog it was the one place I could justify breaking stride
But the funny thing is it was nothing remarkable
Just loose bits of grime and shrub poking through muck
Yearning for a cleansing bath in another part of the world
One day upon passing the bog, I felt an overwhelming desire
to dig deeper
I wanted to know what lay beneath the bog
and stop judging it for the lifeless decay that gasped in its clutches
I tied the dog to a nearby branch, whispering false words of comfort
Stripping my shirt, trousers and long-johns, I stood stark naked
Atop that golden autumn field
With feet together, acting as if form mattered, I plunged myself
down into the bog
Tearing through the muck that coated my very blood with thick clots
As if moving through a vat of untested putty
My broad strokes and full extension took me down to the depths
Where sunlight and the living had never ventured
But despite my struggles and doubts, I finally let go
The murky molasses massaging deep tissue inside of my being
I inhaled so deeply and opened my eyes
Just to witness a being who set it all free
A smooth, yet sudden spine jutted out from her torso
An elite breed of teal doused her scales with brilliance
Her eyes housed nothing but unbridled knowledge
And compassion streamed from the curves of her gils
I reached my hand toward this unblinking goddess
A vessel of perfection in the darkest of places
And though naked, I felt it all shed
The weight of my person shucked from within
Sudden peace burrowed its way to my core
The essence of life distilled in my chest
Though I saw a glimmer of light stream from the heavens
I knew that my soul found itself here
