The animal is the shell of matter,
And as its flesh becomes smoke thick and dense in the atmosphere,
I release the myopic fixations of my ego.
I wash the blood and filth from my hands,
And as the impurities dissolve into the water of the laver,
I release my emotional attachments to this idea or that.
I stand before the altar.
I exhale the heat and the heavens.
I inhale the moisture and the earth.
Far from happiness,
I leave Eden,
And I wander into the wilderness.
I am Dr. Faustus,
Soul sold,
Reveling in a departure that will ultimately
Result in my dismemberment.
God couldn’t be happier,
Because I shall be as Osiris in my future.
I am flesh and bone,
But I am ethereal.
My feet are held to the dirt by gravity,
But my spirit soars.
In my immediate perception,
I recognize the difference between my hands and the branches of trees,
But in the waters of my newborn psyche, there is no distinction.
I walk through the gate of tears.
Here will I know a triune mother,
Creative, received and mediated.
Here will I know the twelve tribes Israel alive in the signs.
Here will be supported by seven columns,
Remembered in each day of the week.
Here I will abominate, lament, adore and be grateful for form.
May the lithe and lively sylphs guide my ascent.
May the dazzling and unpredictable salamanders dance with me as I proceed.
May the furtive and flighty undines teach me to know my inner vision.
May the solid and stolid gnomes tether me to the discipline of my journey.
I wander toward the moon,
And I am resplendent.