Plato's Cave

So for the last few weeks this philosophical allegory has been bothering me, maybe not bother, so much as puzzled me. It's called "Plato's Cave" and even though I don't fully understand it yet, I'm going to try and explain it to the best of my abilities.

So there are these people, and they are chained facing a wall, and they can't move, or turn around to see what's behind them. Behind them there is a fire, and puppeteers cast shadows onto the wall the people are facing. So all the people ever see are the shadows, all they know are the shadows, and all they believe to be real are the shadows. Then one day, one of the chained people are released and wander out of the cave into the world where they see the sun, and everything in it's "true form". The person begins to understand that the shadows weren't real and that what he see's in the sunlight, that is real. So he hurries back to the cave to tell the others what he's discovered, how the shadows aren't real, but they mock him and tell him he's crazy, the shadows are real they insist.

So I guess what the point of this story is enlightenment, learning the "true form" of everything in the world, and trying to teach others about it. The problem I was having was trying to understand what exactly a "true form" is, and how it was explained to me was that a "true form" is the "perfect form" of something, but I have a hard time wrapping my head around that concept because I don't believe anything can be perfect, and anything I try to imagine is imperfect, so how can I possibly grasp perfection? I apologize if my ramblings have made you yawn, or started to make your eyes droop. More to the point, I wrote a poem about Plato's Cave to try and help myself make sense of it all, maybe it will assist you too!

Lyrical Love,
Cara

Plato's Cave
I am haunted
By shadows cast by figures I can’t see
How do I know who they are?
Or if they in fact are real
If I were to see these shadows my entire life
And then one day turn and see the people behind the shadow
Would I recognize them?
They who have been a presence all my life
Flickering by candle light
Jumping across walls
And dancing before my eyes
My companions
Would I embrace them and feel the warmth?
Or return to the shadows
For they are all I have known
Blinding light reveals the truth
And the truth is
I know nothing

Vulnerability is Love at its Finest

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.” –C.S. Lewis

Crown my Heart and Call me Queen

These words are penned by chipped pink nails, by a girl with a smile on her face and a girl trying to reinvent herself. All I wanted was to go out into this world and find my niche, my space to call my own. I however got caught up in the neon lights, and blacked out nights. I was sucked into a magical world where my troubles went away, and the stars stayed out solely for me. I thought that my fairy tale land was safe, that no one and nothing could touch this sanctuary I called mine. But like a cheaply made vase, there were cracks and flaws in this place, spaces where the darkness seeped in, and I could not hide forever. Anger, fear, sadness, loss, they sought me out like an old friend, and took hold of everything I held dear. They pushed me around, and I fell to the ground. I couldn’t get back up, I didn’t want to, I wanted to stay down forever and let life pass over me so that I didn’t feel the pain, but I was also giving up my joy, and the people I love. Then came the blue eyes, filled with strength, and kindness, a hand extended toward me. I was able to stand, for the first time in what seemed like months, and I held that hand for a while, it guided me, and never let me fall. But I knew he couldn’t stay with me forever, this was my life, these were my burdens, I needed to start walking on my own, I needed to take back this life I had let slip away. I had to let go of the hand that had brought me from the darkness, and hoped he would understand. I have made many mistakes, I have made bad choices, I have lied, I have cheated, and I have let responsibility slip from my fingers. And the worst part is no one held me accountable for my actions. I was my own judge and jury, and because of this, I let things slide when they shouldn’t have, I let people go that I shouldn’t have, and I lost love because of my selfishness. No longer is my mission to find my place in this world, I have a new task, a new journey set out. To give as much kindness as I can, repair burned bridges, and help other people find their place in this world. This is why I smile, because there is still hope.
Love always.
Cara.