Who is She?

Who is she? I look, I see, and yet still I do not know - she is a vision of beauty, a graceful wisp floating above the ponds of life, the defining glow to the halo of the moon. Her scent is that of a lovely flower, a fresh breeze in my life. If she were a tree, her graceful boughs would shade this pond of mine, and the soft swan-like movement of her hands and feet speak comfort and peace. I am a pond - I reflect those around me. I can reflect anger, sorrow, devastation - all these things, however, are not found in her. My reflection of her brings a picture of joy, something most men only dream of having. She is the treasure all men look for, and I can only hope to claim her radiance within the still, cool resting place of my waters. Now she comes down to me, gazing peacefully upon my surface. The day is beautiful - the sun is shining, giving the tiny waves in my waters a mystic sheen. The lively green of the trees surrounding me give a backdrop of calm, and the birds in the trees lend their cheer to the pleasant scene. Her face is serenity itself - it seems to have borrowed the color from the flowers themselves. Lilly white neck and brow, rose-hued cheeks, and eyes that excel any color I can describe. But aside from that, her eyes, as the windows to her soul, open wide their glorious, rich curtains and let in a bit of the sun's rays, to dance within her soul. As I dutifully reflect the light, a bit of me goes with it - I see inside. I fly through the air with the speed of light, growing ever closer to this embodied thought, beauty and peace itself. As I pass the curtains, something miraculous happens - I see a beautiful palace, filled with white marble and rich carpeting. The pillars soar up to open skylights, and the royal pillows are artfully arranged to frame every bit of light that may enter. The walls are hung with warm paintings of children, family, and friends. Here I see a painting where a little girl is running to her mother in a field of waving heather. There I see a lovely little drawing of two children playing in the sand on a beach, not a care in their happy world. Each painting is placed in such an artful way that the skylights frame their glory, but wash out none of the color. As I wander down the halls, I see glass sculptures, with water pouring throughout them. The gentle splashes remind me of myself - the pond, so very far away. I can hardly imagine that I was once so forgotten in the woods! Here, in this palace of joy, I find comfort in every place. It seems to never grow dark, and I wish that I could become something else, something worthy of such a wonderful abode. I realize that my perspective had been only that - a perspective. I had longed to take the treasure into my protective depths, but now I long only to be a part of this wondrous display... To become a part of it. I gaze upward, and see a ray of yellow sun playing in through the window, to sprawl languidly upon the floor and send a happy gleam off the walls and dance across a few paintings before landing silently in the glass and water, then spreading its cheer to all. Amazed at the beauty, I stand speechless, hardly daring even to think, for fear of discovering that it was all an illusion - but now the playful beam comes to me, and I can no longer restrain myself. I reach out and touch the beam, and in an instant I am flying out of the palace. I see the entire kingdom, beautiful villages and farms, families working together for their daily bread, merchants plying their trades. I fly higher and higher, giddy with the excitement of it all, and suddenly the landscape begins to look familiar once more; for here are the solid oaks, the slender pines, the wondrous honeysuckle that have grown by me for so very long. Even a grape vine has taken root, and climbs near a sapling. Once again amazed at the beauty around me, I forget for a moment about the castle, until I once more glance over to the shore, where the vision of beauty is kneeling, playing her fingers through my water. If only I could reach out and touch her... Suddenly I realize - I have! She herself let me in, to see a bit of herself, a marble palace of warmth, beauty, and serenity. With a last glance, she returns to rule her kingdom, and now I know - I am not forgotten, for the most important human being remembers, and will come again, and perhaps will let me explore even a bit more of her own existence. Contented, I return to my contemplation of the sky, trees, and wisps of clouds that take so many shapes. I may not be in the center of the town, but I am not forgotten, and so I am content; I need not ask for more.