rim moments

life constantly asks us to meet fear with love
not an easy thing to do

recently I spent the whole day talking about love
with people I love
and
little by little
we let each other peek into the caverns we live in
and try to climb out of

that experience led us to the rim of how we know the world
and ourselves
and each other

when at that rim
we can shy back down into what is familiar
but sometimes
like crabs crossing dunes
we find our way to the sea where all boundaries blur

whether we make it to the sea of each other
or shy back below the rim of what is familiar
often hinges on whether we follow love or fear

those who risk living beyond what rims them
discover that love will usher us beyond ourselves
strangely
beautifully

the attempt to be with each other
and to truly behold each other is
at once
familiar and new
shattering and healing
painful
and all-embracing