1.
to withdraw or
retreat from:
leave
behind.
as in
the step
from paradise
to poverty,
the long
journey from
throne
to execution,
the willing
voyage into
hell.
to voluntarily
cease
to keep
or claim:
to give up.
as in
the surrender
of the right
to be served,
powerful,
esteemed,
or comfortable.
as in
the letting go
of the need to be
proven
superior.
3.
to stop holding
physically:
release.
as in
the emptying
of self, the
opening
of hands
that created
a universe
to receive
the nails.
as in
a heart bursting
open to bleed
in another’s
place.
4.
to give over
possession
or control of:
yield.
as in
a king
becoming a
servant,
not counting
as gain
the glory left
behind.
as in
the giving up
of one’s own place,
the laying
down of
self-will
and the conviction of
The Way Things Should Be
to follow the lead
of Another,
embracing the impossible
way that brings beauty
from ashes,
strength
from weakness,
joy
from suffering,
life
from death.
View from the Valley 