Tunnels

I dig in the dirt that hides
the knowledge of who I am.
Somewhere deep enough in the mire
I will begin to see the illuminated roots
that lead me to the overwhelming answer:
precisely myself.
I muddy my hands
sacrifice my clothes
going down past the mud-worms and shallows sprouts
until somewhere miles
and miles
deep
I pause in desperation,
lost in a tunneling world that grows darker,
always seeking the light of my roots.

If only I had the foresight to look up,
to see where I had dug myself
the single sliver of sky above my head.
To find that what I was searching for was in the ether.
Light as a cloud, my faith sings.