copyright 2002, all rights reserved.
first performed 11/10/02
Find yourself in a comfortable place. Find a place which is familiar to you; a place which calls to you.
From your place, there is a path leading away -- a path toward the river. You begin walking this path, passing hills and curves. Passing in and out of daylight. You travel through the songs of birds and the scurrying of animals. You pass the sweet smells of flowers and the earthy smells of moist earth, and the dew drops gently falling from the leaves along your path. And at last you reach a small boat tied to a wooden dock along the river.
You enter the boat and untie the rope which holds it. And you begin to sail down the river. Take note of where you are along the river. Notice where the river has been and where it is going. And look upward to the sky above.
A white dove sails in the breeze above, or perhaps it is an owl. The bird comes closer to you, until you can see what it really is. The feathered thing calmly glides closer to you, until it lands in your boat and it begins looking intently at you.
You meet the bird's gaze - staring back into its dark eyes. You look deep into those eyes, watching your own reflection. Watching the bird and your own reflection. Soon, only the bird remains. And you are the bird.
You stretch forth your feathered arms. You catch the wind beneath them and sail off into the air. You push against the breezes and move higher into the sky. You circle over the small boat on the river below. And now you can see much more of the river.
You look back up the river and see many boats: far too many to count. And as you watch the river recede you notice that the boats become simpler the father up the river they go. You see people known to you, but long gone. And you see people you've never known.
Now you look ahead down the river. You see many more boats, some which look very strange indeed as they grow in complexity. You see many people, so young to your eyes. And you see them all heading down the river as far as the eye can see.
As you take in your view of the river you notice that there are cities here along the river. Some of these cities are very large and elaborate. Some are very tiny and simple. Some are very beautiful and some are in ruins. But the river links them all together. You see lands of pyramids, some in the desert and some in the jungle. You see empires of tents and others of stone. You see major roadways and major waterways. You see villages defeated by greed and fear. And you see strong arms of justice. You see the worship of nature and the raping of the land. You see scholars and vagabonds. You see kings and peasants. And you see them all scattered along the shores of the great river.
Ahead of you are many more cities, some more beautiful than you've seen, and others terrifying to behold. You see smoke and ash. And you see flowers and trees. You see cities aflame. You see fountains and gardens. And the river still flows by, as it always has.
Notice how different the people seem. Some are lighter. Some are darker. Some are taller. Some are shorter. Some heavier. Some thinner. Yet they all sail the same river. They all build the cities. They all live along the river. And they are all connected.
Now feel the wind begin to subside. It is time to fly back down again. Find yourself gently spiraling downward to the river below, where there is a small boat waiting.
As you gently land in the boat you find that your arms are no longer feathery and that you are once again yourself. You turn to see the bird flying away into the sky.
Soon your boat sails along to the next wooden dock. You tie the boat here and climb back out. And there is a path here leading away back to your sacred place. You pass the dew drops and the moist earth and the flowers. You pass the sound of the scurrying animals and the birdsong. You travel past the curves and hills. And you arrive back at your sacred place. It is calm here and you soon relax and…
Created by Guides Chandonn, Hypatia X, and Sophia X Pharou
Last modified: 06/20/2009