The Cave
I spoke with many afterward, but none of the words were right
The only ones who understood
Were the ones who traveled down too
Even with them, words were no use
So instead we simply looked at each other, our faces brighter than stars
When we set out the sun beat down
Our breath came in puffs as we hiked ever upward
The air grew cold as we approached, tiny droplets misting our faces
The waterfall pounded and crashed till we could no longer hear ourselves think
You could feel it in your bones
It poured in a way that made you feel small
There was nothing you could do to stop it
It roared and rushed downward, downward, into the hole
Are we supposed to follow?
Downward into the hole, under the log, into the dark?
The limestone boulders leading downward were slick and slimy
And shadows quickly swept us in
You could not hear above the rush
Leap over the chasm, down the stone, farther in, into the darkness, further down, quicker, faster
Turn on your headlamp, lest you fall
Darkness growing, headlamps swinging, piercing the deepening shadows
The water pours around your feet
Careful, it will suck you down
Water seeps into your thick soled shoes and cold into your flesh
Downward, downward, follow the water, follow the rush down into the dark
Then…
It was quiet again.
Our voices grew soft as we looked upward
The ceiling was a sky of stars
Perfect round droplets, sparkling like crystal
It was far beyond what our minds could create
We moved more slowly, danger growing less now
Downward we went, climbing and squeezing through each new passage
My muscles tightened, stretched, and reached
They knew, somehow, just where to go
I climbed with ease I’d thought impossible
Yet, up I went without second thoughts
They held my weight, even helped others
It was almost an effortless feat
A little pride began to grow inside
For this body that moved on its own
Seeming to have skill I had not practiced
And strength I had not built
And so it earned respect from me
My body was quiet
My mind was quiet too
Quieter than it had been in a long time
It had to be, for to lose yourself in thought might mean losing your life
Yet danger we chose for the sake of creation
We chose the risk to see the depths of the earth
And while we journeyed further downward
Songs in Gaelic, English, and French wandered through the winding path
Our voices mingled and floated together
The words and notes mixing into perfect harmony
Each and every moment was its own
Time had not stopped, but it meant nothing at all
We continued on, forgetting the minutes, forgetting the hours
They were marked only by the patterns of the stone
By the watery stars on the ceilings above us
By the gaping holes beneath our feet
By the tiny brown bodies of sleeping bats
By the sparkling blue lichen speckling the stones
By the powdery sand that cushioned our boots
By the slick brown ropes and twisting passages
And farther, deeper down, by the yawning chasms
The final room was small and round
The floor all laden with nuts some brave squirrel had hidden there
We gazed around at the curved stone walls
Our eyes swept across the words carved years before
Laughing at the jokes and drawings
Then growing quiet as we found scripture written too
We picked up stones and began to follow suit
Filling the walls with our thoughts and prayers
Many a year may pass, but our words will still remain
Though as we leave, the words are swept into darkness
The carvings of grace will wait in the silence
Ready to shine a different sort of light to the ones who see them next
The cave.
We only call it ours for four short years
But forever it will be the Lord’s


This is so lovely! ☺️ Thank you for sharing.
These are the perfect words to describe one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Thank you, beautiful friend. 💜