Wherever you Go

You need some space to clear your mind
A new locale, some peace to find
Yet be it near, or be it far
Where'er you go, still there you are

Alluring thoughts of great escape
To disappear without a trace
Familiar as a distant star
Yet once you've gone, still there you are

Unknown to most who turn to run
Is what they're truly running from
It may well leave their mouths ajar
That troubles travel just as far

There is no harm in starting fresh
And many have been richly blessed
Yet others simply bear a scar
Of finding where they went, they are

Too often what we seek to leave
Is just the things we will not cleave
In time we find a truth bizarre
It isn't where but who we are

At last when people this concede
The recognition of their need
They cease with Jesus Christ to spar
And Lo, behold, in Christ they are

When Spirit new imbues the soul
Of those who yield to Him control
He takes the throne of willing heart
So here or there, in Him they are

This poem was a finalist in the February 2023 poetry contest