top of page
A Higher Point of View
It is an uphill climb
turning a corner in the path, perhaps the final one
I pause, remove my sweat drenched shirt
sun tinsel cascades into my gleaming skin
eyes water with razor touch of wind
that rises towards the peak
My socks and pants are full of burrs
and thorns from undergrowth and sharp stones
embedded inside my shoes taunt the soles of my feet
This ascent I wish to throw off all bureaucracies of self
stride naked, only hair as clothing, towards my goal
clamber final steep boulders, bottom bare to wind
like some ape or prehistoric ancestor
to raise arms, bellow at the horizon
a thousand joyous yesses
all echoing back from rock walls below
All this because I dared to be not-me
dared to face my fears alone
and swallow them for sustenance
suck tiny stones to bring forth saliva to assuage my thirst
Feet now upon the highest rock
I call these words to the houses far below
to the bypaths, to the church nestling against the pines
He does not exist! if this be blasphemy
make lightning pierce my heart this instant
may I fall to my death over and over
towards those comfortable dwellings I abandoned
so many prayers ago
He if ever He was has abandoned this world of mine
to the wind, the sun, the climb
all these in Life’s name alone
Yes, Life! I roar at the horizon
Life of snow peaks, Life of dark deep ocean,
Life of racing cloud, Life in a billion hungry jaws
snapping to wrench other life from current
that flashes by in silver multitudes
What if Life and He are one and the same?
a thought frowns down from some errant cloud –
what then?
At that instant a bird alights upon a rock
and begins to sing
at that instant disobedience
gives way to love
© Johnmichael Simon
2006
.
bottom of page