Ad Infinitum Book One Master of the Nine Steps

by John Northern

TWO TRIPS

  Trips—many trips

  Bringing us to the lands of countless planets

  We rise on the heels of Mercury

  Without the rolling wheels and gnashing motors

  We speed toward the lights of Apollo

  Toward the endless rainbow of life

  We thank our Godly messenger

  Then we bound lightly to the colors

  And slide to the stars

  We play with the lights

  And sift stardust through our fingers

  We hide behind the galaxies

  To sneak a glance of Venus

  A glance of beauty

  Then we hurry

  We hurry back again

  To catch our Earth-bound messenger

  We leave behind the rainbow life

  And once again drift into Earth's darkness of reality

  The dull drab ungodly life of reality

  To this we come back

  We come back to this world

  In which many friends are tripping—

  Tripping across the blues and greens

  Of the rolling flowing waves

  Tripping across the soft felt greens

  Of the rolling flowing fields

  Of the rolling flowing trees

  Tripping a trip where many will stay—

  In the Earth of time

  Tripping a trip

  To the enemies' front line

  What a strange poem—

  Confusion swirling

  In pandemonium

  And the meaning is lost

  On the relative thinker

  Hurry, worry, and hatred

  The way of life

  In mind set

  But rise up

  And knock off

  The shackles of misery

  Free the mind of drudgery

  Live and love

  Freedom

  For no shackles

  Can hold the mind that loves

  Sing with joy

  And

  Sing with love

  Sing the song of freedom

  Bring forth the peace

  And tranquility

  Bring light

  To the darkness

  You and you

  And you

  And gone

  The misery

  Exploded into infinite time

  What matters?

  Let go the antilife

  And perform the chores

  With love

  I look down

  And suddenly

  I am one with them

  I understand their worries

  Their fears

  But also

  I understand

  The essence of infinite law

  So let us laugh the sound of peace

  With you and you

  And you

  For gone

  Our troubles—

  What matters?

  We have infinite time

  To solve our

  Relative problems

  Yes,

  Still I am

  Within the laws of our society

  I follow the morals

  And practice the values

  And practice the laws

  Still

  Will I do the dishes

  (Or not, if I choose)

  Will I clean the sewer

  Will I fix the rocket ship

  But now I understand

  Happiness

  Infinite, and loosing the bonds of fear

  A part of me—

  No matter what my circumstances,

  Yes

  I understand

  So shall we all

  And look. . .

  The dawning

  I see the light

  The sun is closer

  And the. . .

  Opening,

  My eyes started,

  Awake

  What a strange dream

  I rubbed my eyes

  My face

  And sitting up

  The lady was gone

  Standing up

  Still waking

  "Dreams—

  A way of learning—

  A way of paying debts—

  Enlightening"

  Walking

  Stretching

  Through the door

  Entering the sunlight

  Sunlight

  So warm

  The lady in the fields

  Among the flowers

  Walking

  Enjoying

  Nature's life in the forest

  I approached

  "What a strange dream

  I have had"

  Closer,

  Touching her hand

  And feeling the sun

  "I dreamed of a world

  So strange to see

  To be

  "The people live in worry

  Fear

  And often they hate

  "Happy love is seldom—

  Lost in the maze of anxiety"

  We sat down

  In the grassy field

  And listening

  We could hear the birds sing

  And squirrels chatter,

  Not far away

  The stream bubbled

  And the wind blew lightly

  Through the trees—

  Life

  All about us,

  A chorus

  "Further

  In my dream

  I became one of them

  I felt what they felt

  "Certainly a nightmare

  "But gradually

  I understood their worries

  Fears—And then

  I remembered

  The truth of love

  And it set me free

  I lived with it

  And the world seemed right—

  The test seemed light

  "After waking

  However

  I began to wonder

  About the power

  Of love—

  Easy to bring freedom

  From the lesser fears

  And the lesser worries

  "But

  Does not the light

  Of its power

  Fold out

  Under the cloak

  Of death?"

  I let go of her hand

  And leaned back

  I watched a squirrel

  Gathering nuts

  Preserving Nature

  "Oftentimes

  I feel you are

  The teacher

  To lead me straight—

  "You speak

  Of love and happiness

  Yet,

  Still I wonder—

  How can one retain this love

  In the midst of extreme pain

  Or

  In the midst of a funeral

  Of one you dearly need and love?

  "Then could

  And would

  Sadness dominate

  "Ah

  But saying

  Ha

  I have the happy love

  "Still,

  And nevertheless

  Sadness is there

  "And just when the answer is mine

  I see the dawn of the sun

  Coffined in blackness

  "Oh mourning

  Oh morning

  Where is the sun?"

  Watching the lady

  I waited

  For an answer;

  I remembered

  When she stood

  Upon the fringe

  Saddened by the death

  Of her father

  "*Let the pain fulfill your debt*"

  She said

  "*Until you owe no more,

  But while it lasts

  Endure

  Think not on revenge

  Dwell not on pain

  And cry if you must

  Sad

  And wail

  Unhappy pain

  And stain aw
ay the debt

  Cry the drying tear

  A trail of salt

  Trailing the pain

  Cry and cry

  But let not this

  Be your way of life

  The collector has collected

  The scales have balanced

  Be not ready

  To run another debt

  "*When the stain is done

  Take again the happy life

  Love and be loved

  For you are the demander

  And the infinite—

  Supplies*"

  She paused a moment

  And then continued

  "*When your loved one

  Is lying

  Dying

  Dead

  Cry shortly

  And wail not

  The woe of sorrow

  For you are beings

  Individual

  With individual lives

  With individual demands

  And

  But soon

  You will be together again

  For how long is long

  Compared to infinite time?*"

  "Yes, perhaps"

  I said

  I pondered her statements

  For awhile

  But not too long

  To ponder away

  In a clouded mind

  When instead

  A sunshine day

  That day

  And

  Utilizing the enjoyment of Nature's warmth

  Such a day—

  And we talked of things

  Further

  Lighter

  We strolled

  And walked the field,

  The woods—

  This was a way of life

  Grandiloquently simple

  The day passed

  Quickly

  It went

  Others followed

  As always they will

  And time passes quickly

  When time is enjoyed

  We learned new things

  And ways

  We read books of fact

  And fiction (fact)

  We read the forest

  Tracks and the ways of animals

  We explored the signs

  Abundant life

  We watched the trees in the night

  Dim light

  Sights the silhouette

  The stars and moon

  We listened to the wind

  Within the forest

  We smelled the air

  Flowing in the night

  We explored the scent of pines

  In the paths of our minds

  We tasted the honey

  Found in trees

  To watch the golden fluid

  Drip

  Dripping dripping

  We felt these things—

  Aspects of life

  We knew these things

  And an infinite more

  Exist

  We lived

  And we loved

  We continued

  And experienced

  For we knew

  There is purpose

  To life

  Sometimes subtle

  But there

  A simple purpose

  In the maze

  Of existence

  A simple purpose,—

  But to live

  "Continue

  And experience"

  I thought

  As I picked up a book

  To read

  "As much as you can

  For

  This is life"

  It was early

  Morning

  And she had gone

  Out

  "Even simplicity

  For

  This is life

  "Your love will grow

  With experience"

  I picked up one

  Of her father's notebooks

  And within—

  A poem

  I read quickly

  And then again

  More slowly

  And then again

  I did not understand

  The significance—

  The symbolism

  "Perhaps she will know"

  I thought

  "I shall find her"

  I left the cabin

  Walking the meadow

  The forest

  Searching

  Looking

  I found her

  Bathing

  In a crystal water pond

  I approached

  Coming

  Closer

  The lady of the fringe

  "Good morning"

  I said

  "*A beautiful morning*"

  She replied

  I sat down upon the grassy edge

  And waited

  Patient

  To show the poem

  Soon

  She stepped from the pond

  Beautiful

  And

  Happiness tears of the world

  Dried in the sun

  She rerobed

  In white

  And sat down

  Next to me—

  Putting her hand

  On my arm

  "*Last night

  I dreamed a dream*"

  She said

  "*A warning, perhaps—

  But dreams

  Are often difficult

  To interpret*"

  I looked at her

  Waiting

  "*I saw you

  Climbing

  The mountain

  Of the book;

  You were searching

  The white peaks,

  But, finally

  Your body slumped

  In the snow

  And could not rise

  "*I was frightened

  For you,

  I love you

  And

  I want nothing

  To harm you*"

  She put her hand

  On my shoulder

  "*Please stay away

  From the mountain*"

  I assured her

  I had no reason

  For returning

  I put my arm

  Around her

  I watched the pool

  Sparkling

  For awhile

  Then

  Changed the subject

  Showing her the poem

  And reading

  Aloud

  "THE ROLLIN ROUND

  "The rollin round is green

  Breathing

  Sloping

  Rolling

  Running

  The rollin round is green

  "Sometimes it is yellow

  Sweltering

  Suffocating

  Staggering

  Slumping

  Yellow

  "But then it turns colorful

  Rotating on rainbows

  And throwing its colors laughingly at the sky

  Then diving again into a myriad of paints

  Only to rise and splash

  And throw its colors to the world of beauty

  How wonderful

  How magnificent

  The rollin round

  "But then it turns white

  Drifting

  Sifting

  Shifting

  Glistening

  White

  "How curious the rollin round

  Turning

  Forever turning

  Never concerning

  "How curious the rollin round

  Turning

  Forever turning

  Never yearning

  "How curious the rollin round, green

  With its yellow

  Its white

  And its colors of the rainbow

  "How curious

  The rollin round

  Of colors—

  How curious they should want

  To make it black"

  She looked at me—r />
  Pausing thoughtfully

  For a moment,

  Then she said

  "*This poem

  Written by my father

  Written for all

  To read

  To heed

  "*A poem of the world

  A poem of the seasons

  Spring the green

  Summer the yellow

  Fall the colorful

  Winter the white

  "*A poem of beauty

  The world in Nature

  A poem of truth—

  There are those

  Who would destroy the beauty

  The world

  The truth

  Charred

  Burned

  Black

  The symbol of death

  The color of death—

  Black

  "*It is a poem with a message

  For all—

  Subtly asking

  For the peace

  We need*"

  I sat silent

  Thinking

  Gazing

  Asking myself

  Would they really

  Could they destroy

  Mutilate

  Rid the world

  Of

  The world?

  I wondered

  Where?

  Why

  The reason?

  I remained in thought—

  Gazing—

  And

  The silence was peaceful,

  But not enough

  For the thoughts of destruction

  The day became cool

  A cool breeze

  Blowing

  Mountain air—

  Shuddering

  Disguising warm rays of the sun

  Brisk animals ran

  Scampering,

  Joy

  Upon their warm fur

  "Shall we browse

  The fields of poetry?"

  I asked

  "Or the fields

  Of the forest?"

  My question

  Brought her back from the other world

  In reverie

  She laid her head on my shoulder

  And her voice

  Merriment in the wind

  "*Many days

  We have been together—

  Living

  Being

  And loving

  "*Could it be

  It would be forever

  It would never end

  "*But at last

  I see it must—

  For a short time

  "*I will travel

  To the coastal cities—

  A mission to teach

  Reaching

  Trying to show the truth of love

  To the people (and those who follow)

  Who want the world

  Black

  "*I have accepted the plan,

  But put it off

  For our love

  "*But

  Now

  I must go*"

  "Simple"

  I said

  "And I shall accompany you

  To the coastal cities—

  To go

  And to teach

  What must be taught"

  "*No*"

  She said

  Looking up at me

  The pools of love

  Were deep

  "*The plan

  Is for me

  To go

  Alone,

  "*But soon

  We will be together

  Again—

  Laughing

  And living the simple life,

  We will have a family*"

  She looked into my eyes

  And smiled

  I could not return

  The smile—

  I was stunned,

  Dismayed by the thought

  Of being separated

  Finally,

  I answered

  With sorrow cleverly hidden

  "Then

  I will wait for you

  Here

  In the valley"—

  A manly voice

  She agreed

  That that

  Would be good

  We stood

  And walked back

  To the cabin

  She did a few things

  Before she left

  Time passed too quickly

  And soon she stood upon the path

  And

  Turning she kissed me farewell

  "*Soon

  To be together

  Again*"

  She said

  With

  The merriment twinkle

  Still

  And always

  In her eyes

  She parted

  Starting up the path

  Leaving

  Over the hill

  And

  Out of sight

  The lady of the fringe

  Gone

  How suddenly it happened