To Journey's End

With leaden limbs, they marched precariously onward.

Famine dwelled in their gut, while drought possessed their throat.

Once, they were a spirited adventurer embarking on a quest; now they became a roaming vagabond wandering desert plains.  

Hope clung onto the fringes of their sanity. Despair enticed itself into their mind’s foyer.

They set off on a perfect day three weeks ago, with all preparations in place for the journey ahead. Yet, they were not equipped for such an undertaking: their weathered exploration hampered by the land’s unrelenting climate. 

A harrowing fortnight passed. Their rations were depleted. Their navigation was disoriented. 

 Soon, the adventurer found themselves adrift in an arid region. 

The sun baked down upon their backs. A burdensome heat that undermined each step forward. Every laboured sensation echoed back as a prayer for rest. 

Despite this foreboding, the adventurer’s remaining ounce of will pressed them ahead into the desert. In their heart, they knew that the journey’s end was near. 

When the sun retreated on the horizon that evening, they witnessed a miracle unfold before them.

A prosperous city lay in sight, its dark silhouette a promise for their unrelenting faith.

Tempered against adversity, the adventurer rallied themselves once more for the final stretch towards the refuge.

They knew that what lay ahead was a bounty full of untold riches that few souls have ever beheld. 

To journey’s end they will go, for none have walked the steps as they have done so. 

---

For today’s piece I have channelled my inner struggle with the 31 Days of Content Challenge.

Day 21 - This piece was posted as part of the 31 Days of Content Challenge that I undertook in March 2022.