Sunday, October 15, 2006

Doi Inthanon



A lovely day was spent with several friends on Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand, less than a two-hour drive southwest from Chaingmai. Standing by a fabulous waterfall in the middle of a glorious jungle, and later in the middle of these virgin woods at the top, these words came to me.


Thick green jungle opening to water falling, falling, falling.
Water thrashing to the cacophony of deafening sounds.
Clammy aromatic whiffs entering nostrils without compunction.
Spray spewing droplets from one of Mother Nature’s infinite fingertips
(She has fingers everywhere, don’t you know? Everywhere!),
soaking us in caresses so demanding, invigorating,
tasting of her unconditional regard for life with only one demand:
Receive me!, without excuses as I receive you, in this moment, now!
What choice is there? Opening,
ecstatic life erupts within and without, now.

Just moments later, standing
within the cradle of a forest, pristine
a blanket of fine fine mist spread by another of our Mother’s fingers
(already, so close. Oh, oh my love)
touching from so deep within
the gift of utter profound gentleness.
In stillness, yesterday’s footsteps are already rooted in the moist rich soil,
and tomorrow’s leaves are hardly a whisper
in this deepening moment of silence.