Fravashi

In our youth, we were taught/ our prayers, and the tenets/ of our religion./ Manashni, gavashni, kunashni/ governed our little confines,/ and we felt special,/ for each of us had our own angel./ There was a bright light/ within us.

Our adolescence was filled/ with the delights/ of the mind./ We were ready to explore/ the peaks of the world/ in search of knowledge,/ and the lure of the senses./ That light within us/ began to change.

Ah, the long strife then filled/ our years with work, family,/ the hunger for power,/ the passion for success./ The light we carried, faded.

Now the busy clatter/ of rushing cars, the noisy chatter/ of opposing opinions/ has eased into/ smoother waters, calmer/ minds meet in mellowed hours.

I paused one evening,/ in my attempt to meditate,/ to touch my inner self,/ as I sat under the shade/ of a backyard tree.

The currents around me changed./ A cool breeze brought a sudden warmth./ She circled around me,/ bathing me in a light/ I have not felt for years./ I heard her breathe my name.

My fravashi has returned.

DEENAZ P. COACHBUILDER

California, USA