at the foot of the mountain,
so engrossed in the fungi and flowers,
that I never motioned to climb to the summit before me, for fear of losing those simple joys. and that I may regret departing from what is guaranteed. I was afraid I may become injured from the journey, or find that it was not all I had hoped it would be.
Today, I chose to leave the mossy forest, and move into the mountain.
Step by step, I walked up the mountain’s incline,
toward summit.
As I journeyed upward, I was able to see more of where I came from.
Here, there was also more land to climb that had been climbed,
and I was afraid I might die a death, only halfway through my climb,
without any of the comforts that I knew in the grassy forest,
lest the button cap mushroom and red flowers I kept in my backpack for sentiment.
* * *
I began to sweat and smell
And before I realized it,
I made it halfway up,
...but was growing tired.
* * *
I rested for a bit,
and listened.
I was told... by God, perhaps, that I would not make it all the way to the summit if I carried all my belongings and keepsakes with me.
* * *
It had been two days, and I was not making the progress I had wished I would have made.
I wondered, what went wrong? and asked God and the universe at large, for help.
* * *
I continued onward and upward,
Despite the tiring pain I felt in the soles of my feet.
I was moving through space in apathy and a foreboding decrease in momentum came.
* * *
That following night,
I came upon a rock and rested.
This rock jetted out from the mountainside and looked over the forest from whence I came.
From this point, I could see more forest than I thought had ever existed; I could see the town in which I grew up from, here, lit by lanterns appearing to be fireflies in the distant night.
I sat here and wanted to weep. If I were to decide the same way I had decided things in the past, I would have wept. But I
heard a voice again and I suddenly comprehended something in a capacity I hadn’t before.
I slept.
In the morning, I left all my remaining belongings, including the two flowers and my clothes, at that rock which overlooked the forest. And now, nearly naked, lest my shoes, I began to walk, jog, then run up the mountainside with an energy I had not known before, moving through and within me. It was the kind of electrical surge you get from dreams of flight.
Giving up all of the pain of the past,
I move(d) forward,
And made it to being only foot steps
before the summit.
* * *
It is clear here,
There is a terrible silence...
Joy pervades the air,
And All breathe fully and happily with a sense of awe and breathlessness... which feels good… whole… and light.
All is abiding here. All, here, is abiding.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Due to the need for sustainable food, shelter, clothing, and the security of water,
I worked my way down the newly discovered side of the mountain,
that which was opposite the way I came.
...I saw a village past the forest surrounding the mountain, and decided I would go
there.
When I came down the mountain, I saw deer and antelope playing, smelling the wet grasses. And I could hear the laughter of tree leaves about the air;
I could feel my sweat's sweet touch on my vibrant skin, and
All was abiding.
* * *
Just beyond the forest was a new village,
As I entered it I was greeted by familiar faces.
Now, their faces glowed and I couldn't help but actively look into their eyes when we spoke. And when we spoke, we no longer talked of discontent or bitterness. We spoke in blessings and gratitude. And when we did speak of unpleasantries, it was understood that our complaints were not means of escape; there was no longer a
reason to
Hide from the beauty of the mountain tops,
The presence of famine,
The joy and vulnerability of dancing,
Or the reality and order of breaking branches
and burning wood.
We could all know, and
deeply understand,
That all was abiding;
The mountain summit was once a hill, and earlier, a plain.
“It is abiding here. We are peace, here” spoke all.
And all was well.
* * *
…There is something whispered amongst the creatures who live in the abiding…
They do not deny that there will be days of death, sorrow, and pain.
(But, they also do not believe that by living in disappointment, those moments will be lessened, or made easier.)
Instead, they see today for what it is, in all its glory, and opportunity,
Without the fear looming over them that tomorrow, what is now there, may not be there in the same dimension, in the same way, again.
They do not live in disappointment to avoid being shaken by heartbreak, and they are present for all of life and are willing to love as
much as they are, cry.
… and that is the truest secret and rite of The Abiding,
that is what they whisper in the rustling leaves and starry nights to one another:
I love you.