Exploration

by Myra Chappius

Solitude is not loneliness

Though it may look like seclusion

Or desolation

Or isolation

Solitude is wholesome

A restorative, rejuvenating interval

That suspends the bombardment of life from decimating the

fleshy insides of our psyches

It is vital

Being alone is not loneliness

Though it may look like detachment

Or withdrawal

Or reclusion

Being alone is therapeutic

A curative, salutary hiatus

Meant to bring you into alignment with yourself

With the parts of being that are real

It is meaningful

Serenity is not loneliness

Though it may look like apathy

Or insouciance

Or lethargy

Serenity is revitalizing

A protective, rehabilitative state of mind

Designed to distance you from all that would obliterate

your soul in a haze of turmoil and calamity

It is essential

Do not be deceived or lead astray

To subsume is not happiness

Nor is it essential

Seek stillness