Nocturn has released me from the cage. Uh Oh.

Ironically, hanging with the Nocturn involves a great deal more light than I expected.

What A great honor it was to be invited by this beautiful Variat, to indulge my narcissistic love for stringing adjectives together in run on sentences on his blog podium art-portal thingy.
Without getting to wordy for my introduction, I'll just say this, on behalf of the TaoMa collective (That is to say I don't just hear voices, but let them speak through me as well) The books cover doesn't tell the story, the movie is never as good as the book is, and most importantly, whatever you feel about either, when you put down the your paperback or are on your way out of the theater, I hope that a great smile crosses your face as you step back into your own living tale as reminder that this story is the one you wanted it to be...and it ain't over.

I love the free spirit of live and let live that has been becoming ever more present and readily available in our lifetime. It's not quite the serious and brooding, dogma oriented idea of "spirit is attained through limiting the primal animal nature and being penitent" path of the traditional western religionist. Yet it is not quite the "tune out and fall in love with the assistance of LSD I hope I never come back down and don't need roots" path of the late 60's either. The more new people I come in contact with (which is also increasing rapidly) the more I am beginning to realize and get a glimpse of where humanity is heading...which of course is exactly where ever humanity wants to head. As a whole, this incredibly strange, wonderful and unique species has managed to dance in beautiful tragedy around the base of the Great Earth Mountain, diligently building the strength to climb to the top while nurturing the rich soil below with the blood, sweat, tears, laughs, and wild unhindered joy that can only come from a life in love with living. The dance has gone on for so long in fact, that generation upon generation has come and gone as we peered at the distant majestic plateau with reverence, wonder, trepidation, and anticipation through the eyes given to us by our ancestors. As I marvel everyday at the various strengths of the unique and individually skillful dancers making our ascent, colors I've never known brighten the way. Some of us started sprinting to the peak and didn't stop until we arrived in blessed, focused determination to see what was calling us as soon as we could. They are our legends. Some of the most graceful, after dancing for so long, have chosen the leisurely stroll, with frequent stops to smell the rosemary and share a medicine smoke with grinning hearts...The gathering above will just be warming up right when we arrive " our patient friends remind us along the way. Some, still young in the legs, remind ourselves that we are still building our strength and take well needed breaks in unexpected caves to tell stories by the fire to which all are welcome. The ones who dance with partners touch my heart, giving me the feeling that in each others company, they have already arrived in some way. Humanities noble spirit is shown greatly in those who carry the ones who are tired on their shoulders, and even more in those that are tired, with the great strength and humility to ask for help. Some found a spot half way up and realized that, as great as the view may be above, happiness had somehow found them right where they were and would never leave them. Many lights, lanterns, musical moments in a divinely loved, chaotic dance upon many paths of the same mountain. At the base, some remain, in ecstatic dance, for they love The Great Earth Mountain from every angle, inside and out. It's that rhythm that gets me though, that constantly driving primal beat that the ancestors play from deep beneath the fertile topsoil. They never tire of cheering us on. They live to give us that moving groove as much as we love the dance. What awaits me when I arrive? Why, I don't even bother myself with the question anymore...it is hard for me to think to seriously when I'm busy dancing with friends. "What a long strange trip it's been," said the Elder Dancing Bear. "Get by with a little help from my friends," Replied The Lonely Heart Quartet. " Overhead, swooping and diving, is what looks like a yellow sub. Her engines tone, the dancers song, sings "All you need is Love" Enjoy your dance, whatever path you take, and when you reach summit, take a deep breath and soak in the sights with your ancestral eyes wide. I can't quite say what you'll see up there, yet I have a good feeling, judging by the party ruckus from the top and the earthen rhythm below combined with the jump and jive on the mountainside, that someone will hand you water, and say "Thanks"cuz you've arrived.

TaoMa