Vision Quest
I’m grounded, and yet no longer here
My feet remain firm on hard tamped clay
And yet gone I am, but still remain
What it is I cannot say
Something slipped, or came undone
I’ve wandered beyond the edges of my reality
Senses tuned to a new frequency
My vision quest sets me free
Whispers from beyond my sight line
Voices speak from up above
Seeing without open eyes
Falling while still on my feet
An inner light shining outward
While other rays fill me from within
Slow motion thinking rules my realm
Darkness dripping like a distant rain
Pooling into shimmering puddles
A peaceful dichotomy
With secrets hidden in between
Ahead lies the road to somewhere
Vast, winding, and yet inviting
One giant step, or no step at all
Uncertainly certain as I move with it
Scenery awaits neither slow nor fast
Near and past represented
And up above the cosmos shine
Never stopping dance of wonderment
My beating heart echoes forth
Static and yet imaginative
Sparks tingle in the turn off lanes
Tiny bits of encouragement
Invited enlightenment
Of where they come from, I do not know
I’m a being of energy
My hands both dark and light
Shimmering as the falling rain
Without heat, and yet warmth surrounds me
Something grows within my chest
As if I’m a healthy garden plot
Seed, sun, and water flows
About to provide life to the world
Springtime is within me
Yet no growth emerges
An opening for sure
Hinges from a rusty door
Squeaking sounds of ancient wisdom
Indeed, the truth may be upon me
And my once closed mind has finally opened
With each breath, wonderment
Every vision cascading luminescent
Discovery my companion
Questions finally answered
I am not discovering this world
No, I remember it
Fragments of it and others
Now dancing through the doorway
Mingling with the whispers and whimsy
Awakened to infamy
Industry and allegory
Boundaries breached without lifting a finger
Age has no power
Nor does shape of what matters
Expanding, dissolving, returning
That is what moves me
Universal truths adhere to here
Change is perpetual
Perpetuity is not eternal
Eternity is no longer measured in lifetimes
But in stops along this road
And even though I wish to stay
My feet once again feel weighted
The whispers grow silent
My sight returns
I’m grounded
Returned, but with something more
Lighter, unbound by the little things
Some of me remains on my vision quest
Studying the sparks
Watching for others
Passengers along the road
Messengers and merry makers
Perhaps next time…
Additional Reading
R.J. (Ralph) Schwartz is an American poet, author, website owner, and online publisher. His writing spans several poetry collections—ranging from spiritual and romantic to fear-driven explorations—and even extends into science fiction. Notable works include:
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Hope – Inspirational and Spiritual Poetry
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Things That Go Bump in the Night – Poetry of Fear and Fright
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The Lover’s Thread – Poetry for Couples
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Poetry of the Human Condition – The Ups and Downs of Modern Living
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The Secrets of the Moon (a sci-fi novel co-authored with his son Sebastian J. Schwartz)
Schwartz’s work is described as purposefully wordy, richly descriptive, and thematically grounded in nature, romance, antiquity, and forgotten histories. He writes regularly on platforms he manages, including The Creative Exiles, a collaborative venue for writers, and The Gypsy Thread, which delves into offbeat histories, pagan lore, and poetry.
- The Struggle of Understanding - April 13, 2026
- How To Deal With Frost on Your Pumpkin Patch - March 25, 2026
- The Awakening of Earth – A Poem of Springtime - March 18, 2026
