REFLECTIONS OF THE DAWN
By
-Daniel-
©
I stood upon the crest of the
highest mountain,
Calling down to those who dared
to follow
That I had attained the greatest
of heights.
But a voice from above called out
to me:
'Rest not upon your foolish pride
for you have taken but a single step.
And as you await those to come,
there are those that patiently wait
for you.'
I was alone unto myself,
content within the stillness of the sleeping forest,
when he arose from out of the glowing embers of my fire,
and filled the darkened sky as he smiled upon the night.
And thus are the words he silently spoke
unto my soul:
I ask not for your understanding,
but only your quiet acceptance.
I seek not your respect,
but only the unsung song of your heart;
For lonely is the flower of my soul
and still are the nights upon my ears.
And as I stand in the silence of time,
none save the mountains shall ever understand me;
For they too have bled from the depths
of their rocky souls.
A thousand lifetimes have passed since
my Passion first spoke unto me these words:
'Go forth and speak that which is locked
within the timelessness of your soul and trust
the listener to understand.'
But the voice of my Wisdom answered:
'It would be better, perhaps, to leave the Truth unsaid;
For the listener shall hear your words that clothe the Truth,
but will not see through the veil of their disguise.'
And hearing this caused my Passion to cry,
for he knew that Wisdom always spoke with
an enlightened reason;
And my Wisdom wept also, for there was no joy
in being right at his brother's expense.
So now I come unto you that the thirst of my soul
be quenched and Truth be unveiled before the
eyes of this world.
Be still, and you shall hear the distant
thunder of yet a storm unknown.
Quietly watch, and you shall see the shadows fall
from footprints across the sky.
And rejoice within your heart as the Gardener of the earth,
Planter of your soul returns, for long were the days
of rootless weeds starving the Life from His planted garden.
And bitter was the darkness that befell the bloomless rose.
Only after this earth has been bathed in its holy baptism
shall it become the glorious garden it was truly meant to be.
But as you reach the summit of
your soul's awakening, look not downwards,
but up;
For the crest of the highest mountain's peak
is but the bottom of the deepest valley,
as yet unseen.
The rivers, as vast and raging as they seem to you,
are but meandering brooks;
And the oceans are naught but puddles in rain.
Nay my brother, look not downwards,
but up...
To the clouded sky, that is but the mist hovering open meadows,
still veiled to your sleeping eyes.
Look far my brother, past the sun that flickers
as a candle upon a darkened night, and behold the beauty
of that which is to be your Promised Land.
Look well my brother, for all Eternity awaits to smile
upon your upturned face.
And as you journey forth, let those who
have the need of shelter, take your house;
For you shall be given the pine forest
as your abode.
Let those who greedily desire your wealth,
be satisfied;
For you shall be given the white-watered streams
to refill your empty coffer.
Let those who would smirkingly strip you of your pride,
leave you naked;
For you shall be given the starlit sky in which to clothe your spirit.
Far better would it be indeed to let them take all that you possess
save your heart and soul, thus freeing you to wander through
the mountains alone.
And rich shall you become with the nothingness of unfettered chains,
but poor shall be they in the multitude of their wealth.
Happy shall you be with the dreams of your heart
and the song upon the lips of your soul.
And envious will be they, as you create out of your nothingness,
that which they would possess with the fettered chains of wealth.
But in the aloneness of your wandering,
take care that you do not become the builder of walls.
For oft times, he who would dwell therein becomes but a prisoner confined
and naught but a slave unto himself.
And it be not enough to allow what you deem worthy
to enter through your guarded gate;
For until you tear down the walls of separation
and lovingly embrace the world,
the spring breeze shall not breathe Life into your withered garden,
and no lark will enchant you with the beauty of his song.
"Come with me, oh enlightened one,
to the valleys below and reveal your words to all the people;
That they too might arise with the wisdom of understanding
and follow in your footsteps.
Become our torch, that shall light up the world,
and dispel this darkness to which we are born."
Seek not to follow in my footsteps,
for to be the shadow of my spirit and the echo of my life,
is but to murder your own desires and wound your soul
beyond all healing.
What I know shall not make you wise,
for my wisdom is but the glimmer of dawn's first light,
while yours awaits the noonday sun.
Nay, rather that I be the spark that lights the torch
than the torch itself.
Rather that I be a whisper of Truth
than stand accused of being the roar of a lie.
Rather that I be a cherished dream upon the wings of the night,
than the bitter reality of an unfulfilled and wingless day.
Rather that I be the silent messenger of God
than to be heard through the feared voice of a hated tyrant.
I cannot speak unto the people of the valleys,
For the whisper of my voice would be lost to their unhearing ears.
I long to reach out, but they dare not to touch the hand
of one drowning in his own tears.
And if I revealed my soul, their eyes could not meet mine;
For they would deem me naked and shameful and turn away,
cursing the unveiled Truth as if a lie.
Oh pity those who are dreamless;
For their nights of slumber are but a timeless void between themselves
and the world belonging to their larger-selves.
And pity, also, the sullen faces of those who refuse to walk in Life's Procession
and sadly stare as the parade passes them by.
Beloved brother, let not your heart be consumed by a world that sees,
but only the blurred visions of eyes that are half blind;
Nor by a world that hears,
but only the confused and muted voices,
through ears that are all but deaf.
Shyly stand apart from those who choose not to see or to hear,
But stand not with your soul aflame with anger.
For anger leads only to contempt and contempt but unto prejudice.
And prejudice, leads to the most self-destructive force of the universe...
...Hatred.
Promise me my brother, that you at least shall remain true unto the Spirit
of this night.
Begin Today as the quiet murmur of the smallest brook,
and let not your yearning cease until you become the roar of the ocean's greatest tide.
Upon that blessed day, you shall be as a breath of wind unto autumn leaves,
carrying this wisdom to all who stand in the twilight of hope.
"To deny your words, would be to turn
my back upon the sun and wither within the shadows.
To forsake thee, would be to slay my soul with the sword of indifference.
You have my solemn word even as the winter has the promise of an unseen spring.
It shall be done."
Now, as the sun rises to kiss yonder mountaintop,
I must bid you farewell.
My heart soars upon the wings of an eagle,
lifting my spirit from the depths of despair.
The war within my soul has now ended,
leaving me free to smile once more.
"Oh beloved brother, reflection of my soul,
long shall I remember the events of this night.
Longer still shall the words you spoke unto me,
live upon my days and dream upon my nights.
And would that I could, light up the world with the height of my joy,
this life would be fulfilled for me."
Then, with a whisper of the wind,
he was gone...
A vanishing vision of the night.
But his words were etched upon the very heart of my Being,
even as the dawn of his smile shone upon the new born day.
I wondered, perhaps with the passing of yet another thousand lifetimes,
would we meet and speak again?
And could it not be I, a vision of the night,
that would arise from the ashes of Life's burning fire,
to sing the silent songs of the soul?
I wonder.