THE STRAY WALKER
bamboo # 90 - anis 03.03.01
even
further out i dream - into the ocean - of images - here i am imagining
- you were there already - and while i am pondering like this
- there appears the panther - in front of my face - and takes
me with him - into the jungle - he does not say a word - i only
see - the upper joints - of his forelegs - as they show through
his shoulders - under the black blue fur - left and right and
- left and right and - the green fresh branches - i smell - while
passing them by - not minding - screaming voices - from the monkey
people - we enter - the inner area - of the tropical woods - where
garlands - hang down - from the trees - and colorful birds - are
watching us - until we reach a temple - hidden by ivy - this must
have been a stairway once - and this over here - a stone wall
- where is - the panther? - i can hear him hiss - on the other
side - of the building - and i follow him - like a stray walker
- follows star light - the panther has discovered - an entry -
soon i am standing - in
a reddish tomb chamber - deep in the ground - and while i am kindling
ancient torches - and attach them - to the wall - the black leopard
- with his three shadows - jumps up - on a high sarcophagus -
which i am noticing only just - i push the cover away - without
drawing any attention - to the artistic - drawings on the walls
- and without appreciating - the sparkling gifts - of the mighty
queen - because i seek the core - of the thing - and shove the
stone - aside - protecting my eyes - with the arm - from the light
- that drags me and my companion - into the deep - in a yellow
orange slippery slide - that seems to find no ending - and then
finally does - we find ourselves - in a very different place -
and because i cannot see anything - i ask the panther - where
have we arrived? - and the animal says - we have arrived - on
the other side - and i ask him - what is expecting us here? -
but he does not answer - then he is vanished - and i try - to
move around - it is easy - there i notice - that i am lying -
in the queen's dream bed - in the bed of her mother - before her
very first birth - in this heavenly bed - i sit - a thousand years
older - than the tomb chamber - of the temple - hello? - there
is a sound - a low crying - there stands the queen's mother -
she is still very young - when she sees me - she runs down the
stairs - and i follow her hastily - but stumble - in front of
the first stair - over the panther - whom i manage to grab - in
the neck - until we both are falling - for a push - brings us
- mightily - back - into the yellow orange tunnel - and we shove
back - the cover - of the sarcophagus - and rekindle the torches
- on the wall - on the relieves i see the queen - and her hands
- on this picture - you can see her - hunting - and on this one
- she is wearing a veil - i do not know the letters - only the
M - i know - the panther calls - for our return - but i am still
waiting - and call - the queen - she is not here - my guide says
- she is searching - for the water - and there i see - on the
walls - the signs - for water - and the folded hands - and from
the first extinguished torch - i take - the soot - and paint a
cloud - and underneath - some rain drops - then my hand print
- because she will soon - come back - and then - i can tell her
- wait for me! - my black blue friend - i'm ready now - and on
his back - we move on home
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