Saturday, December 3, 2011

An Imperfect Pilgrimage

[image from google]

Step upon step,
spinning the prayer wheels,
mumbled prayers rising,
pilgrims, we are making
our  imperfect pilgrimage.

Come with me
once around the sacred mountain,
and erase the karma of the errors of a lifetime.
Take me to the mountain,
holy one.
Make me clean.

The prayer flags flutter
on the precipice.
The search for the snow leopard
remains elusive.
Step upon step up the slippery slope,
each step on the path to enlightenment
icy, precarious.

The winds howl down the mountain
like ravening ghosts
and shake the candlelit tent
till it almost takes flight.

I'm tethered here,
but only for want of a perfect rhyme.
I hear the message
in those shrieking winds.
I feel the hoarfrost
on the hand of time.

When I die, holy one,
lay me on the plateau
for a sky burial.
Let the big birds come
and pick my bones clean.
Let the leopard gather them
and carry them off,
so I become
one with the mountain,
the air, the sky,
no more pondering how
or wondering why.

Return me to the mountain
of past lifetimes,
I beg you,
and let me
begin again.

[That's what watching Seven Years in Tibet got me :) !]

31 comments:

  1. Beautiful, Sherry. I think each of us wants to return to our own mountain, however we define it. I know I do.

    ReplyDelete
  2. They have a much truer connection to the Divine than any organised western religions do. If I were to follow any organised faith I'd say I was maybe a Buddhist, or even a Coptic, I don't know, the Dali Lama said there is no need to follow any organised religion, look with yourself, your body is the temple, your mind and soul is where you find God. I follow that belief too. I hope at the end of the day we do discover all of the who, what and whys...LOL
    Lovely prose Sherry.

    ReplyDelete
  3. signature stuff.profound and passionate as always.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I can relate to your desire to return to the earth... and to have another go.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely, Sherry. :-)

    'The prayer flags flutter
    on the precipice. Lovely imagery.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello.
    I've not seen the film in its entirety, but snippets here & there. The mountain people do indeed live a life of simplicity & they are humble with it too. There are some among us who could learn a thing or two from them.

    Lovely imagery & flow, Sherry.
    Thanks for sharing & for your kind comments. You made me smile with "The lovelorn know where to come for a hit of romance!"...that's so cute!

    For ref:
    Our Candlelight Of Love

    ReplyDelete
  7. "I'm tethered here, but only for want of a perfect rhyme..." I love how this line works on multiple levels! That show must have really been inspirational!

    ReplyDelete
  8. a lovely ode to those mountains and sky where we are born, live and die....very meaningful share ~

    ReplyDelete
  9. You are such a good writer. This was beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is an extraordinary piece of writing, Sherry. At times I felt the journey was literal, at other times, figurative. There is a great sense of one-ness. I too fancy the Tibetan burial - sounds like the closest thing to freedom.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Being tethered on a high place in want of a rhyme: such a privilege and such denial all at the same time. May YOU find that perfect rhyme and be one with at least a portion of YOUR world today! So glad to find you through lili's blog! Will be eagerly following and receiving inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  12. For want of a perfect rhyme, that one really struck deep, the whole poem is indeed an epic journey, awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  13. "no more pondering how or
    wondering why."

    that would bring peace. beautiful! ♥

    ReplyDelete
  14. "Return me to the mountain
    of past lifetimes,
    I beg you,
    and let me
    begin again."

    ...so often I have so wished, but alas... I was taken in by this piece Sherry...

    ReplyDelete
  15. It's beautiful. I long to make that pilgrimage soon, a retreat, a getaway, the finding of self, becoming whole and connecting. So this is a poem that really fits my current mood. Thanks for sharing this.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sherry,

    The respect and desired connection with nature, is beautiful.
    Your words do say it all....
    Best wishes, Eileen

    (Sherry, Sorry for the delay in commenting, but I have been busy here with the Christmas season!!!)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow, amazing poem. The imagery I get when I read is incredible. The last line just hit me with a jolt. So well constructed and begs to be read again; so I will.

    ReplyDelete
  18. a bit sad, the part about having your bones cleaned.

    ReplyDelete
  19. feels as good as the first time and takes me back to the memory of Pemayangtse Monastery in Sikkim, India.a sublime peace reigned on the whole area and you could almost hear the footfalls of thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Back here again visiting you after you linked in today's Poetry Pantry. I would add the same comment as before; but additionally I would say the idea of birds picking my bones clean somehow does not enthuse me.

    ReplyDelete
  21. A beautiful write! I like the image that being tethered brings - though instead of to verse, I think of being tethered to all that you want to become a part of. If we could only see the importance of those objects on a moment by moment basis, we'd all be spinning the prayer wheels to have it come about.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Sherry,

    I know that I have read this poem and made a previous comment. However, when reading it afresh it is amazing just how much I felt the connection to that placid place of prayer and contemplation.
    Hope you are having a lovely Sunday. Rain, rain here non-stop...

    Eileen :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. beautiful Sherry...I loved that movie.

    ReplyDelete
  24. You have inspired me to see this movie Sherry. A beautiful spiritual poem.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Wonderful poem, Sherry. I have been near this part of the world and those mountains are magical. You really did get a lot out of the movie!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Reminds me of my visit to Nepal - which did indeed trigger past life recall.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Beautiful! I especially liked that first verse.
    Sorry my return visit is late!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for visiting. I appreciate it and will return your visit soon.