Labyrinth by Shannon Rafferty 

I made my way through the round labyrinth of stone,
kicking up the red dust and sand of the Earth,
Dry, rugged earth whose surface
Has supported the footsteps
And burdens
And struggles
And sorrows
Of its Apache people
Long before my advent into existence.
Listening to the pebbles

ricochet off

of the larger rocks arranged into the complex maze
I add my footsteps to the legacy of this red earth.
The high desert of Sonoita exposes my person to the big, wide world,
Leaving me no place to hide from my past.
The sun’s heat
Coupled with the
weight
Of my sins cause me to perspire
As I zigzag my way around the rocks.
I’m tired and disoriented by the unpredictable path of the labyrinth,
The path of my life’s decisions.
I could turn around,
But all of my effort
The toll of my shame
Will have been for nothing.
After stumbling under the weight of my baggage along the winding path,
I reach the labyrinth’s core.

I’ve grown accustomed to carrying these stones for so long,
But a pebble will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
I draw my breath and heave my burden in the center of the maze.
The chains of my past
The shame of my trauma
At last relinquish their hold on me.
I turn away from the boulders that nearly broke me,
Body and Soul;
The path leading out of the maze is much easier as I depart.

Shannon is a 6 year veteran of US Army and served in Afghanistan during operation Resolute Support.  She is a professional singer, musician; a dog & travel lover; and a huge academic nerd.  Shannon believes in the therapeutic values of the fine, creative, and performing arts and hopes to encourage others to make peace with their demons through her writing.

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