Little One

why do you tremble before the door

who told you it was locked

who told you it was made of fire

there is no key but your own step

no barrier but the fear that taught you fear

come closer if you wish

lay your hand upon my palm

do you feel it

the hum of the earth beneath your feet

the breath of the star burning in your chest

you have heard my name in whispers

wrapped in warning and edged in fire

you have been told that to look upon me

is to stray from the path

to step into shadow

they traced a shape in the sand and said

DO NOT CROSS THIS LINE

and yet

you are here

and i have not spoken

and you have not fallen

ah Little One

do you think the stars refuse to shine

because someone calls the night wicked

do you think the sea will not sing its song

because someone is afraid of drowning

who am i then

am i what they told you

or am i something else

something you have not yet touched

not yet seen

not yet understood

yes i am strange

but so is the sky when it first fills with stars

so is the sea when it sings in a voice too deep to know

i do not ask you to leave behind your faith

i do not ask you to call me good

i ask only this

look deeper

if i am darkness

then see how shadows are shaped by light

if i am a beast

then ask why wisdom wears so many faces

if i am forbidden

then seek the one who forbids

and ask what it is they fear

and you Little One

you have already stepped through

the threshold is behind you now

there is nothing left to be afraid of here

so seek on

and if after all your seeking

you still call me evil

then let us part in peace

but let your knowing be whole

let your certainty be shaped by more than fear alone

for there are others who see me differently

they do not ask you to agree

only to know that they too have looked deeply

and that what they have found

is not yours to name