taming ravines

in the early light of the east
a hermit's wisdom
is told to the wisest elder:
         to dress oneself in courage
         to forge a fearless spirit
         crossing deftly over ravines brings assurance
         leaping over deep cracks of the unknowable;
         to calm, without whip nor leash,
         those untamable fears
         arising out of the darkness
         of dreams not-yet-discovered...
         small triumphs await he
         who has patiently bolded thrashing rivers
         smelled the flowers in distant prairies
         and learned the secrets from the full moon's clouds
         on a cold rainy night in august...
there is truth found in the morning's fresh air
or the call of the first songbird
to be whispered between those who know
where the water runs deep




         taming ravines
         12 august, 2006
         
Written at Les Saulières
The Lyons Collection