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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

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© Johnmichael Simon

2006

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