La Puerta del Sol

High Noon

In the bleached blue sky, the scorching sun beat down,

As Gabriel walked the maze that is Madrid,

He remembered the spring, full of hope and possibility,

All the dreams he had as a kid.

To explore wonders of the world, from Sri Lanka to Paris,

To pursue a life of passion and love,

So much hope for a future he could barely imagine,

Inspired by the constellations above.

As he took each step on the crowded sidewalks,

The revery began to slowly fade,

Like the golden leaves of autumn, now littering the streets,

No longer offering up their shade.

One of thousands in the city all “going somewhere,”

Desiring to live a life that is great,

But so many traded Destiny for material gains in this world,

And now they’re bound by the tides of Fate.

Drifting in the city, such a babel of languages,

Here at the crossroads where cultures converge,

Every person he bumped into or that crossed his path,

There was an exchange, momentarily energies merged.

Each has their own story, untold to the masses,

But for those who observe, they see.

Simultaneous stories of promise and despair,

How everyone simply longs to be free.

Lovers holding hands until one releases their embrace,

The solo saxophone, its haunting melody, dark,

The man at the café with only cigarettes for company,

The lone widow on a bench in the park,

The buffet of businessmen blinded by success,

The homeless man brushing his teeth at the fountain,

The mother pushing her baby with an oxygen tank,

Each soul has its own anchor, its own mountain.

Gabriel‘s story was unfolding, though not as he imagined.

“Life is good. Yes, I know this to be true,

But the fog of disappointment and unmet expectations,

Grows thicker, my lens has turned blue.

I thought if I was kind, if I listened to my heart,

If I took a leap and followed my intuition,

That this life would look different, that I would be happy,

But I have come to a contrary conclusion.

From the plazas to the mercados to the grand vias and the parques,

There’s so much beauty I long to share,

But I am alone in this place, so desperate to find meaning,

The veil is starting to tear.

There’s an anger and bitterness, a deep sadness and sorrow,

How long until I am free?”

Then he stepped into a church and escaping the crowds,

He knelt and prayed “Lord, hear my plea:

This world, it is broken by wars of power and greed,

So much suffering in everyone’s hearts.

We are trapped by the systems that continue to fail,

And divide the world into parts.

Instead of unity, we are fractured, many struggling to survive,

The prince and pauper, the decadent and derelict.

Striving for a better future, we work and we hustle,

But I feel as though we’ve all been tricked.

Even outside these sacred doors, this sanctuary,

A beggar woman prays for something more.

What is it we’re doing? Why so much disparity and hardship?

Be honest, tell me what is it all for?”

Gabriel sat back in the pew and stared at the ceiling,

The dome gilded in shimmering stars,

And then he noticed a crack in the arched vault above,

Even the House of God, built of rock, bears the scars.

Closing his eyes, there was nothing left to say,

He took a deep breath and then sighed,

And in the silence that followed, he heard his name said aloud,

And when he opened his eyes, he cried.

San Miguel, the archangel robed in radiant white,

Knelt before Gabriel, pure beauty all ablaze.

Then the angel stood tall, his wings of light filled the hall,

Staring deep into Gabriel‘s eyes, an unyielding gaze.

“Sweet brother of mine, child of light, born of love,

I know how much you suffer.

We are one, you and I, though separate we may seem,

But yours is a path that is tougher.

I know you feel lost, but you’re on the right track,

You’re calling will take all you have to give.

There’s no judgment if you change course, for I do understand,

But your soul simply will not live.

Your journey is long, you must keep trying, be strong.

I know your flame is fading within.

To imagine a world as it could be, not as it is,

It is hard to know where to begin.

You have walked many miles, all the questions you have posed,

There’s so much that you have seen,

And now in the shadow that enshrouds this era,

You must dream of what has never been.

With the light that you carry, you must walk into the darkness,

For you play a part in making the world whole,

Seek out the sun for its rays will heal all hearts,

You must find La Puerta del Sol.

In the Desert of Deconstruction, many trials await you there,

Be steady, be true and you’ll overcome,

And though this journey is yours, you are not alone,

Verily, all is one in the kingdom to come.

Look for signs and synchronicities, to the stars and to the birds,

To all that flows with the energy of life,

You have all that you need, you are stronger than you know,

You will find your way through this strife.”

Upon these final words, a burst of light filled the church,

And the metal tin of the bells rang in the hall.

The bells sounded seven, the setting of the sun,

Each day, a little shorter with autumn’s fall.

Sunset

The church was now dark, Gabriel‘s vision was restored,

And again he saw the crack in the ceiling.

He rose up and walked out, stepping into the world,

Determined to find the path of healing.

“Signs and synchronicities…all that flows with life…”

He pondered the angel’s words.

Staring down into the river flowing west into sunset,

He then saw a flock of birds.

He followed the birds west into the last remnants of twilight,

West, where the sun had last shown.

And so began his journey into the Desert of Deconstruction,

Leaving the city and all he had known.

With each step Gabriel took, the sky diminished to black,

From the quilt of night, stars emerged bright.

“Lord, hear my prayer and help me find my way.

For I am blindly seeking out the light.”

Cities became towns became ruins, reclaimed by nature,

Abandoned villages from a time in the past,

Eroding his understanding of the ways of the world,

Releasing his grasp as each day passed.

Paved roads soon gave away to cobblestones and then gravel,

Gabriel followed the river west on its course.

Buildings became farms, fields of peppers and tomatoes,

The soil was both fertile and coarse.

And soon there were vineyards and olive groves aplenty,

The land was cracked, it was arid and dry.

In the distance, the horizon went on seemingly forever,

There was nothing but land and sky.

Blisters on his feet, carrying the weight of his troubles,

A visceral hunger began to form.

Then he felt the sky tremble and saw a flash from a far,

And he sensed the approaching storm.

Sheets of rain poured down, raging wind blew with fury,

Water soaked Gabriel through to the bone.

Footprints in the mud told of the way walked by others,

Though just him, he knew he was not alone.

Unsure where he was going, he took one step then another,

Hoping he would make it through the long haul.

The dwindling of light, days were now shorter than night,

Winter had claimed dominion over fall.

Vegetation became sparse, no life could take root,

Surely, the Morning Star had claimed these lands.

Parched lips, he kept going, hanging on only to Hope,

He was now in the desert, the shifting sands.

With time his body failed, he collapsed to the ground,

And his vision faded out to black.

Just then, a stranger passed in her wagon of curiosities,

And she pulled an elixir out from her sack.

Pouring the rose tonic into Gabriel’s dry mouth,

The woman whispered into his ear:

“With any will you have left, rise up from your slumber,

For your destiny now draws near.”

Gasping for air, Gabriel heaved, his eyes burst open,

And he saw the woman who cast her spell.

Tattooed birds on her hand, flew up her arm around her neck,

She had a power no mortal force could quell.

“Gabriel, Truth Seeker, child of light, born of love,

I know how much you suffer.

We are one, you and I, though separate we may seem,

It’s the mask you must learn to uncover.

Take this looking glass, revealing all you cannot see,

For in obscurity, there’s always a light shining.

You are more than you know, release your limits and labels,

And embrace this process of refining.”

Gabriel took the looking glass and held it up to the cloudy sky,

His eyes grew large, amazed in pure wonder;

A multitude of galaxies, expansive worlds beyond boundaries,

All visible from the clouded earth down under.

“These same worlds exist within your very essence,

I have seen it for you are part of the whole.

Now go, carry on, don’t give up, soon you’ll discover,

You will find La Puerta del Sol.”

Renewed strength in his body, he stood up and he smiled,

At this enchantress, he could not explain,

And then he took another step and continued his adventure,

Steadfast, he moved through the pain.

In what seemed now a state of permanent dusk,

A distant silhouette of a figure appeared.

Daily he drew closer to the mysterious shadowed sentinel,

Until one day, he saw the Horseman and he feared.

Dark Night

Mighty, the cloaked menace, sat on his horse, black as coal,

The glint of gems in his eyes pierced the dark.

With one hand on the hilt, his saber ready to draw,

The threat was clear and stark.

And in his other hand, a banner flying high in the wind,

In a language Gabriel knew not but understood,

It was a flag of failure, of doubt and of hopeless abandon,

A foreboding sign where the Horseman stood.

“I am the Guardsman who patrols these lands.

There are two ways to go from here.

You can descend into the cavern, the Cave of Unconscious,

The way is dark and eerie and queer,

Or you can stay in the desert, safe among the dunes,

And one day, you’ll find your way back home,

Where it’s comfortable, predictable, you’ll want for naught,

But your soul will forever roam.”

The subtlety of self-sabotage, the finesse of familiarity,

So alluring when the future is dismal and bleak,

But after all he had experienced and unlearned on his quest,

Resolute, his heart was strong, though his mind was weak.

“Many days I have wandered, seeking a light in the dark,

If I’m honest, I’m ready to give it all up.

But I will do what is allotted me, my soul has agreed.

How I wish, Lord, you would take this cup.

Show me the path to the inner cave where I must descend,

Into a darkness that may steal my breath,

For I know what awaits me if I return home now,

Peace, I’ll never find, but living death.”

Upon those daring words, the guard dismounted his steed,

Pulled back his cloak, revealing he was a wraith.

“I am doomed to forever wander. You chose what I could not.

I see before me a man of great faith.”

The wraith held out his hand, pointing the way to the cave,

“Beware the inner demons that haunt your mind.

Keep following the path, one foot in front of the other,

And know that yes, you will be blind.

But even in the darkness, there is always light to be found,

See how falcons soar on the still and silent night,

If you cannot see it, then hear it, you must learn to feel it,

If you believe, your soul will take flight.”

Climbing over the dunes, Gabriel then beheld the cave,

Griffins carved of stone flanked the center.

And there, above the cave, grew a barren, weathered tree,

A warning to those who would enter.

Certain death was before him, Gabriel pulled out the looking glass,

And again, he saw a sight to revere.

A glimmering tree of life, blooming with leaves and flowers,

He knew the path before him was clear.

He approached the stairs, descending into oblivion,

A black hole even light could not elude,

Then he saw an inscription etched on the archway above,

A final proclamation, an ominous prelude:

“Let Hope be what sustains you in your darkest hour,

When your faith has fully unwound,

And may Love be the reason you seek out the sun,

Only once you’re lost, can you be found.”

Gabriel turned one last time, looking back without longing,

Then he closed his eyes and took the first step.

Down he did go, hands reaching in the dark,

Unable to judge the depth.

With each step he fumbled, feeling around for firm footing,

Tapping his toes, he felt for the ground.

Each noise that he made echoed aloud in the void,

Like a round, unending, it did resound.

Grasping in the dark for anything to guide his way,

Gabriel found only emptiness in this great abyss,

And still he descended into the unfathomable unknown,

Trying to recall San Miguel’s promise.

Each step in the penumbra was an act of pure faith,

Though his wary mind was full of doubt and anger,

“How long, oh Lord, must I wander in these murky depths,

A withered leaf, blowing aimlessly, in the levanter?

You who are love, where are you when wars break out?

Where are you when refugees flee?

And when daughters are raped and orphans cry alone,

When the faithful pray unanswered on bended knee?

When the young die of cancer, when the weak die of hunger,

When the poor sleep on the streets?

I thought love conquered all, that light shown in the dark,

Explain to me all these defeats.

High in your heavens, all the healing you could bestow,

All the angels you could deploy,

Where were you when I was a child and I needed you most?

So afraid, I was just a little boy.

I have tried my best. I have done what you have asked.

I have nothing left to give.

One more step I will take, but it is to be my last.

Please understand me and do forgive.”

Swallowed by his shadow, Gabriel released all resistance,

Accepting his fate, no longer believing.

He took his last step and then laid down in the cave,

There was only the sound of his breathing.

“My dear sweet Gabriel, child of light, born of love.

I know how much you suffer.

We are one, you and I, though separate we may seem,

I am daughter, father, brother, and mother.

Like clouds that form and hide the sun and the stars,

This world is but an illusion,

For the sky still shines, whether day or night,

If only we could see through the delusion.

Through the lens of “otherness,” there’s nothing I can say,

No justification would make sense,

But as above, so below, on earth as it is in heaven,

We must learn to shed the physical pretense.

I am the aggressor and defender when wars break out.

I am the refugees who flee.

I am the daughters who are raped and the orphans who cry alone,

And I am the faithful on bended knee.

I am the young and the old, the weak and the strong,

I am everything, now and evermore.

And I was that little boy so afraid of who he was,

I know your heart for I am its very core.

The world is corrupted, a web of lies that Hate has spun,

Preaching heaven for a few, but not for everyone.

Yet truly, I tell you, in the kingdom come, where love has won,

Pain and suffering are redeemed, at last, there is none.

For with the light of the ever eternal, blazing sun,

We shall finally come to see that in fact ‘All is One.’

Heaven on earth, the world made new, has now begun,

So, rise up, my son and let it be done.

Gabriel, my child, Hope has carried you this far,

Despite doubt, you believed in Love always.

With your last exhale, I give you my breath of life,

And know that I am with you in all ways.”

In the darkness, the silence, Gabriel felt a wisp on his face,

“Fresh air? But coming from where?”

Recalling the angel’s words, “All that flows with life...”

Gabriel reached out and felt something there.

Sunrise

Stone engravings, then an edge, he felt a draft in the crack,

“Could it be La Puerta del Sol?”

With the little strength he had left, he pushed his body against the wall,

The gates swung open and light filled his soul.

Gabriel took a final step into the light of the splendid sun,

And for the first time he knew he was free.

And though blinded by the sun’s rays, with Love, he became one,

And for the first time he could finally see.

Dane Dowell ~ November 1, 2024