The Quest

Somewhere along the way
I lost touch with myself
From being told I was flawed
From believing that I was broken
From being an outsider
Learning that being different,
meant being abnormal.

I sold out to the highest bidders
I abandoned myself
Seduced by the momentary promise
of connection and wholeness.
I locked my true self away in the abyss,
tempted down the path
of compromise and compensation.

Somewhere along the way,
I felt a deep yearning
telling me that there was more to life
than the path I was walking.
And so the Quest to finding myself began.
I came to learn that the Quest is a risk,
and that it takes courage to stay committed to the journey.

The bidders for my old self still come calling.
The seducers still play at enticing me with their nectar.
The temptations still make empty promises with their songs.
I have come to learn that the Quest is a pilgrimage,
and that it takes commitment to stay on the path.
And so here I am, on the Quest to finding my true self.

No one can make the journey for me.
It is something I must do myself.
It is not a journey I make alone,
for I have my brothers who travel with me.
Each on their own Quest
Each taking that risk to find themselves
Each unleashing the courage
to live their own authentic life.
Each committed to expressing who they are in the world.

– Ade Adeniji