GIFT FOR THE MAIDEN
1/10/01
by g.l. bass (the ghostbear still lives)
For Alexis Newman
(written to "Operatica: "0")

 

Sun sends soft silken strands,
Crimson streaks across the sky,
Filtering down,
Down,
Down
Through morning's misty breath.
Dew diamond veils
Hang in beaded rows,
Shimmering jewels upon
Weeping willow trees.
Deep,
Entangled,
Jungle's deep emerald
Morning madness
Hides
Wide mouthed pink,
Purple,
Red and yellow flowers,
Standing thick together,
All along the path,
Overgrown by headhigh hedges,
Grown thick in tiny orange blossoms,
Surrounding the garden.

Far below
Where water droplets
In massive spray gather
Into winding streams
That seek each other
Twisting together in
White river rapids
Roaring down
Steep and narrow
Steps finally over
The sparkling rainbow ledge,
The waterfall falls,
Falls,
Falls,
And falls
Into deep, dark pools,
Swirling and singing
The Falls mad passion,
In thunderous echoes thrown
Back to the garden,
Back through the jungle,
And finally out to sea.

The morning sun,
River madness,
And song of the waterfall,
Sing the rhythmic heart beat of the jungle,
Sing the garden's song of mystery,
Sing the song of life's passion-
Spun in silver secrets like thin webs
Hung high in the jungle leaves,
Shinning in morning sun against the sky.
Mystical Spirits Sing,
Dance and float,
Glittering,
Across the garden,
Hidden and
Sheltered by the jungle..

She waits beside the stream,
Amongst the flowers,
In the garden.
A maiden.

Each morning she wanders
Far down the shore,
Far up steep beach banks,
And finds her way deep into the jungle,
Where the lost garden holds
Her secret,
Holds her silent,
Holds her gently
Amongst the spirits
Of love,
Mystery and passion.

She spins her thoughts,
And throws her prayers
Over the edge down the falls.
She lifts her dreams up to the spirits
Of the garden,
Her heart falls,
Tumbles in dreams,
Falls with the river's whitewater
Down,
Down,
Down,
Over edges into deep, dark pools.
Her silent desires set afire,
Her spirit aflame amongst the
Silver eyes of the garden.
She waits,
The falls calls,
And the spirits' songs
Inspire her desire.

Quietly,
Secretly,
A spirit from the jungle
Appears down the path,
Through the jungle.
He carries carefully in his hands,
As if precious beyond dreams,
A small glowing gift
Upon a golden pillow.
She turns,
As he kneels before her.
"Be not startled my lady.
I am but a spirit who has heard
The prayers of your desire,
The cries of your heart,
The tears of your love."
He kneels before her,
Stretches forth the pillow.
Upon it a small box-
A turtle like shell.
She bends,
Touches his face,
As if she thinks him not real,
"From where have you come?
Why this gift for me?
How do you know my heart?"

His eyes shinning and aglow,
He places the pillow and gift in her lap,
Kisses her cheek softly,
"I am the weaver of dreams.
Inside this small oval shell
You will find
The magic of dreams.
Take care,
My lady,
The dream weaver
Is not always
What he seems."

He touches her eyes as morning sun
Passes over his shoulder.
The jungle envelops him.
As a spirit amongst shadows,
When she opens her eyes
He is gone.
All the dew diamonds shinning
In morning's sun
Turn to rain,
Turn to rain,
Turn to rain,
And it pours soft,
In a growing song
Until the jungle
Fills with its soft rain voice.
The maiden holds the
Gift up to the sky,
It glimmers
Against sun and rain.
A rainbow bends its arch across the jungle,
And its colors unfold across the sky,
Drain into the garden,
And fall a shawl around her shoulders.

The small gift glows,
Its cover designed in gold,
Is the universe of sun
Moon and stars.
It's clasp,
Closed,
An owl who holds
The secret of the dream weaver
Within the lock of his grasp.

A soft turtle's shell,
Rubbed by soft hands,
For keeping precious
Jewels
And dreams.
She feels the soul
Of the Turtle
In the shell's smooth touch.
She feels the life lines
Of the Turtle in the shell's back.
She folds the shell in her lap,
Settles gently into the garden,
And sleeps in the soft, warm sun.
She sleeps in the garden
Amongst the song of the river,
And the spirits fill her dreams
With passions and wonders.

A small voice whisper's to her.
"The universe is the universe of Love.
The universe is the universe of beauty.
The universe is the universe of harmony.
All the worlds are only
A dreamer's time apart."

She see's herself lift up on transparent white wings,
Like an Angel
Of love in flight,
Up into the morning sun.
Her spirit feels
The love of the universe.
Her spirit sees the design
Of life in the universe
Amongst the stars,
And there is harmony,
Love and passion.
A song runs through
Her heart and into her soul.
She is an Angel
Beside the waterfall,
In the garden,
And the small voice
Empassions her,
" See me.
I am the Turtle.
I have come to you
To teach you truth.
I am the ageless one.
I move about the world
Slowly as ageless ones do.
Dear Angel,
Hold my shell to your heart.
Feel the lines of my life
Like the lines in the palm
Of your hand.
You shall see that my shell
Is the palm of lifelines
Across your life.
In the palm of life
There are many ways,
But all ways
Intersect at the middle
Of your soul.

So it is,
Your spirit is meant
To journey all theways
Of your lifeline,
All ways
To discover
Who you were always
Meant to be.
Just as God
Intended all your ways,
And all your lifelines to be.
Dream Weavers Angel,
Be in harmony with the universe.
And the universe shall be
No smaller or larger than
The passions of your heart.
And the universe shall be no more
Or less than the wanderings
In the palm of your hand.
And the universe shall be
No larger or smaller
Than all your passions,
All your desires,
All your dreams,
Woven like gold threads
Into your own tapestry of life
According to God's own time."

Then Turtle continued on
Until he disappeared
Into the garden's mist,
Down the path of ageless ones,
Beneath the river,
Under the Falls,
Beyond the jungle,
Out to sea,
Where ageless ones
Journey forever
Among the currents
Of life.

Angel lifted up,
Turned her eyes
To night's sky,
The Full Moon was shining through
The jungle's rooftop,
Casting shadows across the garden,
She could feel them floating
Upon the river,
She could feel them tumble
Over the falls.
Then there came a large shadow
On widespread wings,
A harbinger out of darkest hours,
His shadow sailed across the moon
Until he once again folded his great wings
Within himself and settled
Next to her,
Softly,
Secretly,
Silently,
In the garden.
"I am Owl ,"
He said.
" I am the spirit of the night's
Deepest secrets
And darkest hours.
I see beyond life,
Into the heart of darkness where
Your deepest desires and thoughts dwell.
I can answer all your questions,
Even those that
Night settles in upon you
In your deepest, darkest dreams.
And so my Angel,
What is it ,
Through my eyes
You see in the Universe?
Who sends you
On your way to forever?
Who calls your heart
Into their hands?
Who guides your soul
Through the jungle,
Over the falls,
Far below into the deep pools
Of who you are?
Who shelters you
When night comes calling
When your darkest hour's
falling?"

She turned,
Her soul felt as though it was falling through
His deep, bright, golden eyes,
" Owl,” she moaned,
“This is but a dream,
The weaver gifted me
Nothing but dreams.
You are the wisdom
Of all the universe.
You are the seen and
The Unseen,
Have you come to
To wrap me in your wings?
To carry me into deepest darkness?
To end all of my dreams?"

Owl raised his wide wings,
Slowly wrapped them around her
And said
"My dearest Angel,
I am all that I was meant to be.
There is no mystery in my answers.
There are no answers that you don’t
Know already in your heart.
The only darkness is when
You deny your heart,
And deny the truths you
Have always known.
All the wisdom of the universe
Lies beneath questions,
Your heart knows
Answers to
But fears to open
Their door to.
All the wisdom
Of the universe
Is but a question.
And all that I have given you,
When time finally falls to
Its virtual end,
Where the river falls
Beyond a waterfall that
Falls to forever,
You shall already
Know the answer
To all your
H eart
Seeks,
Because the universe
Is a universe of peace,
Love, and harmony.
And so it is Angel,
Look into your heart.
Find your answers.
Fly away, let lose
Of your burdens.
Your soul shall
Fly
A shadow
Across the moon."

Angel lifted up
On great white wings
She soared to the face
Of the moon.
She felt the pulse of the
Universe in the shining stars
Beyound the moon.

She awoke.
Morning had broken.
Sun drenched her
In growing, streaming,
Golden light.
She kelt to feel
Where the shadows
Ran through the garden,
Down the path
And crawled into the river.
She held the box
Close to her breast.
She could feel a river
Of warmth,
The blood of the universe,
Flow through her.
She could see
An Angel seated
Where she had been sleeping,
Soft, gently, glowing,
Amidst the garden dew.
The Angel turned to her,
"The universe is a place of love.
The universe is a place of harmony.
See me for who I am,
Because I am you..
I have come
To be with you
Just as you are here
To be with me.
Hold the gift of dreams
Close to your heart
And you shall feel
The Dream Weaver's truth
Flow through your heart.
You shall know
The wisdom of the owl,
The peace of the ageless one,
And see your heart is the clasp
Of all the dreams of life.
When you open the wisdom
Of the clasp,
The most beautiful of all jewels
Shall unfold.
You shall know the wisdom
Of being whole.
Just as dew diamonds
Born upon cold night winds
Fall in morning sun,
Run down to earth and find
Their way to the river,
Hence the river to sea,
You shall find your way to peace.
You shall find your way to love.
You shall find your way to harmony. "

She stood,
Raised her head to the sky,
The sun warmed her.
She walked to where the river falls,
Falls,
Falls,
And falls,
Deep into dark pools.
She called "I love you"
Down over the falls,
Into the river,
She could see
Through her heart
Peace and harmony flow.
Through her soul
Truth’s a river
That runs
Deep into
The pool that only she
Can see.

She closed her eyes.
Like the great river truth flowed.
And her voice within
Her voice told her:
"Choose by your heart.
Let your heart see wisely.
Let your love be free.
So the river to the ocean
Shall be the answer
To your dreams.
Your dreams
Will always be
Where an Angel
Guides your soul
To a universe of
Peace,
Love
And
Harmony."