Flashback

by David Harrington

The mystic meditates lazily beneath a shady fruit tree and envisions spiritual enlightenment, his key to achieving inner peace.

Through a kaleidoscope of colors which spin before his eyes, he sees the seven riders of the rainbow in their horse-drawn chariots blaze a trail of fire across the spiritual sky. And closing his eyes, he traces their path with his finger.

Ever so gently he reaches up and plucks a virtuous fruit, careful not to disturb the serpent who lay basking in the midday sun. But Cherubim watch over the garden with their flaming swords and guide the seer on his mystical journey through the land of shadows and spiritual darkness, where evil lurks behind every hidden doorway.

So taking a bite, the mystic's eyes open wide and he finds himself strolling down a winding road through a lush rain forest covered in moss and evergreen, where primeval giants tower high above.

Onward through the meadows he wanders, past fountains and streams where nymphs and gnomes frolic on frosted fields and hummingbirds are busy collecting sweet nectar from a honeysuckle bush. Where the first morning dew clings softly to silk-spun webs and fuzzy caterpillars hatch into beautiful living butterflies.

It's evening now and the long tall shadows of the late afternoon slowly disappear into the fading light. The mystic rests his tired feet on an old hollow log and listens to the nightbird call.

A nightowl screeches somehere off in the distance, wolves and coyotes bay at the full moon and the wild wind howls down the canyon:

The dragon has awakened like some legendary mythical creature in a lost and forgotten story of old. The dragon's breath closes in on the seer now, surrounding him in shroud of mist.

But through the haze he sees the golden hawk with its great wings of fire descending through the twelve solar gates. And it perches upon his outstretched hand.

So he plucks a feather from each of its wings: Now he has the magic power of Almighty God at his fingertips and he soars majestically off into the spiritual sky and up to the stars.