SHADOW DANCE         (7-23-2000, Galveston Island, Texas)

morning sun  
throws its warm gold  
across  upon  into  
my shirtless  
back  
as its all embracing  
bright light  
brands this long road  
up ahead of me  
as i ride  
and roll on  
my bike  
ever further  
into this strong  
western  
salty gulf breeze  
as my shadow  
precedes me  
along this remote  
open beach road  
fleetingly hiding  
in other shadows  
i occasionally  
pass through  
along my way  
where larger tree shadows  
so cooly  so sweetly  
though much too briefly  
swallow me whole  
momentarily refreshing  
my body  my senses  
mind  spirit  
and soul  
in my gentle passing  
each brief  
cool shade  
a welcoming friend  
inspiring me on  
for six or seven miles  
over  across and through  
all these sun gilt  
concrete  
daydream shallows  
yet something transcends  
overcomes  
and overwhelms  
any conscious  
and subconscious  
ambitions or desires  
i may have  
in wanting to control  
this free flowing  
day  
as im caught up  
and lost  
in this trance like  
hypnotic dance  
of such subtly moving  
shadow plays  
quiet moments  
reflectively absorbed  
collectively  
along my way  
in my gentle passings  
passive observance  
with no need  
to think  
at all  
comforted by  
the soothing motion  
of all these intermittent  
swaying shadows  
dancing underneath me  
connected  
like fluid puzzle pieces  
to larger patches  
of surrounding sunlights  
all encompassing  
cosmic touch  
into  
and like  
this visual river  
of hypnotically moving  
pranic  
yin  yang  
currents and eddies  
now flowing  
through  
my transfixed eyes  
calling me  
pulling me  
ever further upstream  
as i roll  
blissfully onward  
under this  
broad  blue  
magnificently yielding  
mind blowing  
benevolent sky  
where these stray  
feeling words  
keep falling softly  
like late autumn leaves  
floating off  
and away  
into  upon  
the receptive  
calm stream  
of my absorbent  
fluid  
tuned in  
zen flow minds  
spontaneous free release  
of all these  
spilled out  
impressionistic words  
mirrored here  
as they occurred  
only dancing shadows too  
quietly drifting by  
within my mind  
and senses  
here in  
my gentle passing  
where later on tonight  
upon my return  
back home  
even in my sleep  
dream tides  
will silently arise  
where timeless time  
itself  
as well  
will effortlessly  
slough off  
beyond  
the inner depths  
of nights sweet grasp  
wherein this day  
and all  
ive sensed  
seen and felt  
within its flowing  
unfolded dreams  
transcendently filtered  
expanse  
and where  
even more magical  
days like today  
can be more deeply  
more intuitively interpreted  
and measured  
to gain  
more richness  
of higher meaning  
beyond the more common  
human  
egoic minds  
more deceptive  
illusory  
interpretive impressions  
more linear  
three d  
disquises  
many false masks  
where days  
like this day  
i had today  
can too often  
much too easily be  
misinterpreted  
and divided  
into misguided measurements  
of broken  
mere shadows  
illusions and light  
but here now  
in retrospect tonight  
before i turn out  
the lights  
to fully surrender  
to sleep  
and completely let go  
yet again  
into whatever dreams  
may come  
that all of this here  
all these  
spontaneous spilled out  
words  
intuitively filtered impressions  
were all equally  
spontaneously inspired  
spawned  
and naturally  
borne forth  
up from  
my shadow dance  
bike ride  
earlier today  
in my gentle passing  
along that  
wondrous  dancing  
shadow mottled  
sunlit  open  
road