A song for when life takes you to the edge

From now on you leave father and mother
From now on there’s no-one to blame
From now on when you look in the mirror
The mirror won’t answer
‘Cos you don’t even know your own name.

From now on there’s no tribes or nations
From now on no creed or race
From now on when you look in the mirror
The mirror won’t answer
You don’t recognize your own face

At the edge of the known world
Going on means going in
At the edge of the known world
Trust you find the guide within

At the edge of the known world
Join hands with those who’ve gone before
At the edge of the known world
Many have found the open door

From now on you leave masks and makeup
From now on no disguise to be worn
From now on when you look in the mirror
The mirror won’t answer
‘Cos you’re naked as the day you were born

From now on there’s no leaders or systems
From now things ain’t white and black
From now on when you look in the mirror
The mirror won’t answer
‘Cos there’s nobody looking back

Why ‘At the Edge’?

Ever stood in front of a mirror and realised that you no longer know who you are? The face staring back at you is a stranger. Things have been falling apart in your outer world: relationships, finances, health…. what seemed certain is suddenly shaky. And now the person you thought you were is shaken too. You are at the edge of the known world.

In this crisis moment the certainties and identities that you assumed would support you forever – your religion, your race, your ideology, your tribe – no longer hold the answers. Their comforts seem hollow; they are shadows of what they were. The eyes looking back from the mirror refuse to lie to you; fact is you no longer know how to cope with whatever is coming next. You are at the edge of the known world.

You watch as the face in the mirror dissolves in panic, shock, fear and despair. Emptiness beckons, a black pit into which you might fall forever. In this moment you know you are absolutely alone. But wait – when the false falls away, what’s left must be the truth. If you can summon the courage to accept this, you may observe a tentative smile emerging on that face. After all, the edge of the known world is also the edge of an unknown world, and there’s excitement about exploring there!

A journey has begun; a journey within that requires trust to take. And who is there left to trust but yourself? That fearful, despairing, shocked you is the seed of someone courageous; someone who’s ready to live without illusions or security; someone who takes total responsibility for their life in this new world.

And it’s happened before to many others; there are guides along the way. You’ll recognize them when they bring you joy and set you dancing; you’ll identify them when their every word and gesture gives you feelings of more freedom and more love. I trust you’ll find and join hands with them!