Lifting Off From This Life

and as I saw myself where I lay quite still, just barely breathing

I began to leave in peaceful radiations

rising up, I separate, and leave a trail of gently streaming images

passing straight through the picture window as though it is not there

rising freely, tucking backward, a back dive arching upward

arms spread quite wide and I’m trailing, a rainbow colored mist

moving onward, climbing upward at a steeper angle, the foothills fall away

and from a spot between my eyes, an infinite image is unwound

much higher now, but not too far off, the mountainous divide comes into view

so very free and beyond being calm, evaporating in the contrail of my soul

heading West and ever higher my density decreases

in somersaults and laid out back flips, an entire journey in an instant

and then, high enough at once, I see the curve of our miraculous atmosphere

at last so free with arms outspread, it is escape velocity for me

moving cross the moon's lovely face a bright blue planet shines far below

then on around to the dark side to slingshot away with even greater speed

and faster now, cruising openly with the photons from the sun

leave the friendly ecliptic behind to get a feeling for the void

and in four short years my soul can visit nearby Proxima Centauri

but at this speed time passes so very slowly that I am aged but very little

Effortlessly realizing that nothing good comes for free

Peeling back the silky mandala one gauzy layer at a time

Gazing back out through its crystalline structure from a central void

Then suddenly and necessarily, without any conscious effort

It is that first real time up, riding on that old bicycle

Always in that process of learning something new

not merely chattering to simply hide good silence

Taking pride and pleasure in the basics of life

Feeling the native wisdom of hot sweat and hard breathing

Studying deeply as well as reading widely

getting up before the sun

Knowing how to do things with the use of your own hands

Cooking food yourselves and sharing it at home

Watching the cycles of the moon, the sun and the seasons of the earth

Remaining simply aware of the subtle sounds of nature

Finding use for anger but not living driven blindly by rage

Sharing as much love in any way as often as you can

Traveling far but not forsaking the good home that you have made

Always being sure that you can still read and write

Respecting the old, repairing the broken, knowing the history

relaxing your entire body one part at a time

Understanding that you can’t be any happier than the saddest you have ever been

Making every single day a good day to die

Being honest and avoiding salesmanship

Knowing yourself and listening to others

Not letting their noise and confusion mask the vast emptiness

Seeking out the quiet places and letting them fill you up

Adjusting constantly and unconsciously to the eye of the storm

Effortlessly realizing that nothing good comes for free