We Were Once Words Whispered

A 6 am hike.  San Cipriano, Colombia

"Li"

We were once words whispered

When wanderers walked to 

stop and talk of unwanted thoughts

Willingly whimsical

Watching woes flow down winding rivers

Wind kissed waters quiver

to the melancholy of morning

Warning signs of life arriving

Watch sorrow sigh as

Tomorrow dies

With death comes a newborn rising

Weakened will

Weakened will

"Without, within"

Strengthened still by timeless imagery

Silent synergy springs forth

Timeless memory

Empty embers invent inspired fire dances

Shadows shake in shivering shapes

As walls await for the slip of a whisper

We were once these words of youth and yearning

Truth thru learning

Burning brandished marks on virgin skin

Worlds within

We speak volumes written in common language

Delve deep, seek and see 

we share similar sorrows

Shaped by tomorrows built

by trials of today

May we praise this day!

Claim its cause and

belong in all it believes of us

For by fortnight

We won't be too weak to say

That though the day may dwindle,

We loved simple in each second

Luckily, due to digital technology the data on these photos say they are from 27/11/08.
This note was written in the morning, on a river bank, on that day.

Angels Rest

Today I hiked in the north of Oregon about 24 miles from Portland.

I am thankful that my Uncle drove me up there while he waited in the truck with his various reading materials. The hike itself was about 4.4 miles total. Prior to going up the cascade mountain range, I dropped off some thrones (pictures coming soon) at a very kind Indian family house. Raj was the guy's name; he was the photographer of my cousin Alex's wedding and he was kind enough to give me a quick lesson on how to use a camera flash. He gave me insights into his freelance photography business and I was very delighted to see the inside of a Hindu home. It was a good preface to my 3 hour hike up the mini mountain since I happened to have a copy of the Baghavad Gita in my backpack. The mountain was called Angel's Rest. It provides a nice view of the Colombia River gorge which separates Washington state with Oregon. According to my uncle, many ages ago a huge glacier melted and carved out this present-day gorge. Throughout my hiking experiences throughout the world, I must say, I'm a pretty big fan of gorges, they really make beautiful scenery. I also am a big fan so far of Indian families. Before we left, Raj's mother said, "Hey it was nice meeting you, we like you!!!"...as they waited by the doorway and waved bye.

Perhaps I shall post more pictures. Most of the photos I took atop the mountain I took on film, which I shall develop soon.

Some of my thoughts about hiking that I will post mostly as mental notes for myself:

♔ What's in front of you matters most....if you look too far ahead, you'll fall.

♔ Quiet the mind. Say a mantra inside. Not for its meaning, but for the way a singular thought can reverberate in your interior. Pretty soon, all thoughts fade away and the inner voice blends and vibrates with all the natural sounds around.

♔ I wore the wrong ass shoes. Walking is a pleasure, but not to your knees. Be good to your legs and feet.

♔ No matter how many difficult walks I've been on, my experiences don't make me any better or less proned to a challenging path. I have to respect each one.

♔ At one point in my mantra, I reached a moment of utmost clarity and concentration. I only focused on the ground in front of me, not even looking up.  I saw all the rocks moving by and I realized that God views life this way. It keeps moving, it never stops. I told myself I shouldn't dwell on things. Sometimes at home, I sit and dwell a lot, trying to perfect things. Keep the show moving.

View from about 30% into the hike

I was getting tired at this point. Looked up and thought, "That's probably where I'm going."

Dead trees at the top made me think I was almost there

Oregon on the left.  Washington state on the right of the river

This is Maltnomah Falls.  After the hike we drove there.  I was tired and my Uncle asked if I wanted to go up that bridge.  I said, "Nooooo, I just walked four miles on rocks and leaves....let's just take a picture down here."

The moon made an appearance

Over the shoulder is an example of the giant glacier carving into the mountain creating the gorge.  Tremendous energy. Wu wei

Last shot before long ride home.