reaching out; reaching in

by Keiron Pratt

2022

My mind wanders back to more than a year ago, to a place resembling mars lit by the moon.

Two others and myself, staggering through the darkness without a light over rocky, boulder strewn ground; pathless and blind. Scraping past thorny, woody shrubs, we continue with aspirations of seeing auspicious Full Moon rise up over the vast desert equator laid out in front of us from our mountain top, as if we were perched on a hill of boulder seats overlooking the universes' most impressive cinema.

The anticipation in my chest becomes totally undeniable, taking my breath.

At that moment, I feel a strong cry of a tree behind me, touching my back, calling my attention. Now withdrawn from human-person interaction and now engaged with tree-person behind me, I hear how he feels lonely, misunderstood and ostracised up on that hill. Life is tough, joy doesn’t come, and he is comfortable in letting me know.

As I listen, the responsibility hits my heart and I reach out my hand to caress his, not just for giving momentary comfort but to express the responsibility I feel; to keep him in mind, long after this sharing.

And as I write this, I wish to say to you tree-person;

You out there, alone on that hill, you are often in my thoughts.

Your loneliness is felt body over; it reminds me of my own.

In this moment of sharing, reciprocity, I weep.

Like this my friend, we are alike, we go up and we go down.

To say you are like my brother diminishes much. You are me, and I am you. Going further, are we not other also?

Don’t we share this on a greater level?

And isn’t this feeling of sadness what binds us to other.

Reveals our Love; the uncontaminated wish for others to experience joy.

Our connectedness runs in beautifully sad ways.

So, realising you are me, me - you, and we – other, I pray for you to be Happy, and free to

shine in all ways under Full Moon, illuminating all-pervading Love.