At first there is black, then gray
Moisture clings to my fingertips
As the gray turns to a white mist
A gentle spray cleanses my face
As I open my eyes and realize I stand upon a shore of crashing waves

An ocean forms before my eyes
Gray waters roaring furiously to be given life
As they attack the rockbed upon which I am footed

The blanket above me is the whitest gray there is
Begging to encompass the full spectrum of light
But a howling wind signifies an unanswered request

As i turn full circle, a stone wall greets me
Standing solid, smooth, and reacing into the clouds
All along the shore the wall runs
Not a break in it as far as the eye can see
A perfect construction throughout
There is something about its grandeur which I find demeaning
For I feel unwanted

Between wall and shore
I've only the shoreline to follow
The waves of death lapping at my feet as I begin to explore

Miles I walk, and I begin to tire of the gray atmosphere
As I sit down for a rest I notice
That even the sand between my toes is void of color
So I stare at my knees for an hour or so
A reminder of what life looks like
Never have i felt so colorful

Now rested, and having a second wind, I break into a jog
As if speed will spark a change in this place
Hours pass
And pass...
As icy sweat drips into my eyes, I must shut them
But I run on

At last my knees give way
I fall to the ground then open my eyes
To see my reminder of life turned pale white, and buckling
And I despair

As I stare at the skeletal waters
It occurs to me that I am not leaning against stone
But rather something more suited to the curve of my back
Snaking next to my leg...

Whats that?
A root?
Whipping around, I indeed see a tree, greener and more radiant than most
Growing in a place that should be the other side of the wall
But the wall was indented, the builder having apparently decided
That a tree was not worthy of inclusion in whatever world lay beyond that stone mass

Weary and parched, I search for food
Sure enough, the juiciest fruit I could have imagined
Hangs there, ready to be plucked and eaten

As I sink my teeth into the flesh,
A rush of taste fills my mouth
And a rush of thought, which I'm certain is not mine
But would seem to be the will of the tree
Floods my skull

Looking closely I see that the indented wall is not pure
It is not strong like the rest of the stone
But looks to be made by men
It reaches almost to the sky
But the clouds must have lifted, because up at the top
A hint of golden light shines down
My only insight into the world that is shutting me out

An unusually powerful gust of wind
And I hear the leaves of the tree whisper:

'They are fools, fools
Knowledge cannot be lost
Innocence can never be returned
A single act obliterates the power of purity'

And then I understood
Understood, because the Tree of Wisdom willed it
That I was on the wrong side of the wall
Because the men within believed me to be impure
Therefore unholy
And blocked my entry with a wall of ignorance.

08/31/2004

Posted on 08/31/2004
Copyright © 2024 Kenneth Lau