The Great Pursuit (An Ode to Truth)

by Amandalea Rodriguez Noel

We’re sitting, you and I

a sea between us across the kitchen table

my folded hands, a mangled heart

more like a fortress than a

living, beating thing

It’s mornings such as this one that

I become aware of you,

lingering in the silence, free

from the babble and bustle

of men and women

and everyone

For though you are here now

as I sip some coffee,

the light of dawn emerging slowly

from the dark,

this deep blue, glimmering bit

by bit before us,

is a marker,

a gulf, separating my pride

and your virtue

Yet you are always there,

moment by moment,

vying for my attention—

an invisible friend who waits,

every choice a chance

to keep you

But it’s hard sometimes to see you

from over there,

fastened on your throne,

so distant and superior

in your honesty

Yet they travel through waves,

climb over rocks and reefs,

your words,

forge in and around,

circling the waters

to find me

whether I want the

truth or not

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Amandalea Rodriguez Noel’s writings explore the beauty found in banal and broken things. Whether crafting a poem or telling a story, she believes that even the most ordinary moments are significant and worthy of expression. In 2019, she earned her Master’s degree in creative writing. Currently, she spends her days teaching English and composition, encouraging her students to discover the dynamic power of words. You can read more of her work at @amandalearodrigueznoe on Substack.