labyrinth

It fits perfectly in my palm,
this rock I found,
heavy, flat, and smooth,
from a riverbed maybe.
It’s a warm, gray-brown,
the color of a rabbit
hiding in plain sight
and just as still.
It would be easy to stack
with other stones,
to create a calming cairn
or to line a labyrinth to linger in.
But maybe it’s meant to simply be held,
a touchstone.
Its curves and weight hold comfort,
solid, sure, simple,
worn and weathered,
dimpled and scratched.
I turn it over and over in my hand
as if I might find a message on it.
There are no engraved words,
but it does hold a message.
I cradle this stone in both hands,
for it holds a deep knowing:
Let the river rage on, it says.
Let it smooth out your rough edges.
Find purpose in stillness.
Be a calming, settled soul.
Outlast the flood.
-kh-