Attempt Number Four

 

The River and the Eddy,

The Ocean calls the River home.

A prized trophy, carried high on the shoulders of this returning hero

the swimmer bobs up and down. Finally asleep,

 after hours of splashing effort, unaware of the strong and steady waves

 that carry it protectively along, it moves toward its own demise.

 

Whirling, swirling, riveting in tormented circles, the Eddy up ahead

gets ready to pull the swimmer from the River’s protective hold.

It, without mercy, is set on tearing all the unsuspecting,

yet the endlessly anticipating away from their unconscious daydreams.

Like a bully hiding in the corner of the River’s bend,

it sticks out a dirty foot from below the sparkling waves.

The surprised River, so intent on joyfully getting to its destination,

heeding only the voice that calls it forward,

stumbles over the boulder of Samskara and its lifetime collection of debris.

Losing its momentum, its grasp weakens.

The swimmer is torn from its clutches. Both it and its charge

 are clumsily sucked into the awkward barrier.

 

Tangled up in all the other floating things the Eddy pulls toward it,

torn from its original trajectory, splashing about

 in a desperate attempt to find something solid to hang onto 

the drowning treasure swallows the waves of misguided attempts 

and sinks to the depths below.

 

All the while the rush of these Holy Waters,

the trough and crests  of these mighty waves,

are still being called forward by the Oceans’  powerful  but unseen Force. 

This Voice is strong and unrelenting, stirring up the waters 

that collect behind the impediment of samskara.

 

Yet, the cries of the River’s cargo, the drowning swimmer,

pull its attention down. When the watery focus is drawn

to the stuffed and stored debris of human preferring,

to the boulders of human resistance,

forming the current of human selecting,

it has no choice but to spin in a whirlpool of human suffering.

 

Down, down, down the swimmer sinks, 

claimed by this vortex of its own trapped energy, 

into the mirky depths that build up and break down 

behind the boulder of samskara.

And the River …the powerful, majestic river ...follows.

 

Howling with delight, the Eddy triumphantly claims 

this that makes it stronger.

 

The undaunted Ocean sings again, calling out in compelling whispers,

for the River to leave the swimmer behind and come home.

Not wanting to abandon that which it clung to for so long,

the waters still resist and twirl and swirl around and around

making the Eddy stronger and stronger and stronger.

 

Still, that Force calling the River forward is determined 

to bring all its Ripples home. 

Unknown to this tiny disturbance of river 

trapped in one of many Eddies,  Life goes on beyond it. 

In the flow of that universal Life beyond the barrier,

exists the Shakti, pure and free, 

moving in glorious sparkling persistence,

 back to the Source from where it came.

The birds and winds above cry out in joyous awakening 

relaying a message in their song   for all who will listen: 

Stop resisting, relax, and let the ocean pull you home.

 

Through the rush of human drama, the soothing chorus is heard

and the River removes its focus from the drowning form.

It lets go.  As soon as it releases its hold allowing the flimsy, 

lifeless carcass to fall to the muddy bottom,

its waters return to the surface where they, 

sparkling with millions of  twinkling diamonds,

embrace the sunlight once again.

The boulders dissolve, the debris disperses

 and the Eddy is no more.

 

Without the heaviness of swimmer,

the barrier of Samskara, 

the mighty River is set free to continue 

its joyful journey home. 

© Dale-Lyn, July 2024 attempt # 4