Restored

I walked
with the faith of a child,
hope abounding
and wonder in all the world around.
Joy and laughter
cartwheeled beneath beautiful rainbows
arching over sunlit fields
of lavender, lilacs, and wood-rush.
Peace and reassurance
danced hand-in-hand
beneath canopies of adoring stars.

Curiosity called
from beyond a hedgerow,
hinting of tempting adventure
beyond my youthful valley.
A confusing, meandering course
left me lost alone
in a bleak world of thorny thickets
where a cold, angry wind
blew harsh
beneath dark, storm-filled clouds.
A sneering pack
of unrelenting bitterness and sorrow
circled and mocked,
gnashing and snapping
over a feast of destruction.
Despair and desperation
pulled and prodded,
plotting a mournful end
in a black,
bottomless pit
of hopelessness.

Then you loved me.
Reaching tenderly
for my frightened hand,
you saw beyond my wretchedness
to the arching rainbows and canopies of stars
patiently waiting
in a forgotten place and time.
Understanding and comfort
slowly and soothingly
stood a hesitant and faltering gait
on steadfast footing.
Gentleness and faithfulness
nourished a starved and naked soul.
And at my side
you walked with me,
restored,
through the thorny thickets,
beyond the hedgerow,
and into a once abandoned world
of joy and laughter,
peace and reassurance,
and love.