finding Melody… Mindelo Cape Verde

Chickadee…dee.   Chick a dee… dee…dee.    Chickadee… dee… Chickadee… deedee

Me startled as she recognized that voice of old.  Melody…  her childhood invisible friend. They were inseparable from birth, as Melody prepared  and guided “Me” during her journey into the Forest of the  Naked Slate.  It was there that she discovered her intrinsic self, no longer allowing society to define who she was to be. The journey was profound. To this day, the lessons lived.  That was long ago.

Chickadee… dee Chickadee… dee … dee.  Chickadee… dee. Chickadee… dee… dee

,,,again she heard the song…

“Me” was enjoying the early evening sky as the sun was beginning its decent to touch the earth below.

Mindelo, Cape Verde

She had thought of Melody often during the past 10 months, missing her soothing constructive words when Society’s confusion overwhelmed her… as it was now.  As she curiously looked around her, she saw Melody settle on a stem of beach grass behind her.  As their eyes met, Melody lifted her tiny aging body and struggled to find her way to touch her friend.

Silence held time… no words spoken as Melody caressed the warm skin of her favorite dearest friend communicating through the warmth of one another.

Words were finally spoken

How did you know of my distress, Melody? How did you know of my need for your guiding words? I find myself crashing as Society has decided a direction for our world that I cannot live in. 

Melody spoke softly.

My child… we are one.  I am always with you. I feel what you feel.  I feel the heaviness in your heartIn The Forest of the Naked SlateI witnessed your perseverance to conquer fear.  It is fear that is the enemy in your heart once againReturn to your journey. Go back to that time… I promise you, you will find what you seek… reconnecting with “Me”.

Me continued her silence as she and Melody found a shade tree to settle under.  The air was beginning to cool. Melody’s soothing words took her back to her journey, and she filled with memories.

Melody will you sleep beside me tonight, here, next to the sounds of the waters edge, like we did so long ago

Yes my child…I am here. Let us rest into the morning.

As Me’s eyes became heavy, her thoughts turned to Freedom.  He was her faithful guardian during her Journey.  His large donkey frame carried her many miles as they traveled through the Forest.  At night she would cuddle against his warm belly with Melody cuddled near.  He died not longer after her Journey.

Me now knew what she had to do.  She needed to go back. She needed to find her lostMe”.

          My Ghost in Mefinding Soul… Melody, Freedom, and Me

…meeting Ghost

Me had been walking aimlessly for days. Grey heavy clouds, continued to hang in the dulled sky above. The air was cool and damp. Not only was she lost in her emotions, she was lost in her surroundings too. Me was fixated on tracing her person back, back before “Search” became important, before her journey into the Forest of the Naked Slate. She concluded there had always been rooted conflicting thought within her, creating emotion from her Foundation that collided with emotion from Ghost, the messenger of her Soul. It was now very clear that the anxiety of these two conflicting worlds ignited her need for Search…her desire to find the Forest of the Naked Slate.  Her desire to find love for herself…her desire to find peace.

Chickadeedee…Chickadee dee dee…Chickadeedee…Chickadee dee dee.

Me broke from her heavy trance as she recognized the familiar greeting above her. My Melody…My Melody…where have you been. I am lost.  I have been wandering for days. I have met “My Ghost in Me,” Melody. I have discovered the messenger of my Soul. My conflict with emotion is becoming clear. I now see how emotion created by my Foundation can collide with the emotion of my Soul.

Melody perched herself on a large rectangle boulder next to Me, who was sitting on the ground under a large oak tree, the canopy of foliage above so dense, that it darkened the sky. Melody filled her lungs as she settled in place. Her heart pulsating from the excitement she felt within, as she heard these words from Me. She then, bounced from the boulder onto Me’s shoulder, landing against her neck. Lowering her body, she sat cuddled between Me’s neck and shoulder, close enough to her ear, so she could be heard when speaking.

My Child…You have made my heart extraordinarily full. Your relentless perseverance of your chosen direction in the Forest of the Naked Slate, has brought you to your journey’s core.

You have discovered Ghost inside of you. You have unmasked the emotion’s of your Soul.

Your success was anchored by how you chose to embrace fear, not bow down to it. You did not allow fear to infest your mission with safe emotion generated from years living within your Foundation. You allowed unfamiliar, foreign, even daunting emotions to surface in your being. You chose to listen…You chose to question …You chose to listen deeper. You chose to question even more. You recognized that your emotion was the root of your conflict in self. The emotion from your Foundation and Society severely conflicting with the emotion of Ghost sent to you from your soul.

she continued. …This is the single most important lesson to be learned in this Forest. It is the raw emotion, presented to you through Ghost, that fills your naked slate and makes you one with Soul.

…come my child let’s walk.

Me rose to her feet. Her body was trembling with emotion. Melody’s words sank deeply inside of her. She felt a rise of emotion.  She could now distinguish the difference between her Foundation and her Soul. It was Ghost cradling her. She felt no fear. She allowed the embrace to captivate her being. In the distance there was a glimpse of Freedom strolling her way. His body had aged. She had been so immersed in her journey, that she could not remember the last time they touched. Tears began to swell, streaming down her face as she ran to him, burying her face into his course mane, feeling the heat from his body and the flutter of his heart as they cradled. My dear Freedom…I love you so.

Together…Melody, Freedom, and Me continued their walk…miles passed. Me had no reference of time. It may have been months…even years since their arrival. The dense foliage around her and the canopy of trees above her allowed little light in, never presenting a true sense of night and day. She only knew that who she was when she entered the forest, was not who she was now.

As they continued their odyssey, it became evident that the air was shifting around them. A slight breeze was developing, it began to caress her face and blow her long hair. She embraced the sound, as the breeze took strength. It brought back memories of the water’s basin…her real home of long ago. As she sat on Freedom’s back snuggling his mane, Melody held her favorite position perched between his big willowy ears, looking forward.

Me followed Melody’s gaze. The dense insulated façade of the Forest of the Naked Slate was fleeting.

Light was darting between the crevices of the canopy above. The topography of the earth was beginning to transition. The dark black earth and the beds of composting leaves were transforming into sand and dune grass.

The light continued to build…the veneer of the Forest began to fade.

They stepped foot out of the forest and into a meadow. Me scanned the world around her. The view took her breath away. She was at the top of a bluff… sand and dune grass surrounded her. She saw milkweed flaunting their pods in the distance. Small yellow flowers danced in the wind. She gulped the air…she could smell the water …she could sense the sun.

Melody…Melody…Melody…are we where I believe we are?

Melody turned …little tears were streaming from her eyes…emotion filled her answer.…yes, we are my child. We are going home.

Melody, Freedom, My Ghost in Me, and I, were going home.

Me hugged Freedom as hard as she could… peace was filling her heart. As she closed her eyes, Me could sense another hug surrounding her being.  No longer fearful, she reached deep, very deep, and embraced all that she now knew…

05 27 2022