VISIT OF THE WARRIOR
bambus # 97 - anis 26.03.01
when
i called - the spirit - of the great warrior - he came over and
sat down on my bed - ellbows on his legs - thumbs under the chin
- tapping with his fingertips - as if in thoughts - around his
right arm - on the muscular top - a tattoo - like a ring - so
he sat in my room - and i had called him - you spirit of the great
warrior - i said - i have questions - and he said - i have arrows
- and a sword - and i said - can you - give me courage? - and
he said - i can give you - an arrow - through the ribs - but i
said - i already had an arrow - through my ribs - the warrior
stood up - and walked in my room - he had short black hair - and
a bow - he looked at the pictures - on the wall - he touched the
books - on the shelf - and took one out - it was a dictionary
- he stroke it with gentle fingers - then he looked at me - in
a way - that my watch - stopped ticking - the same fingers - tore
- the book - into pieces - his eyes - always on mine - i made
no comment - then he put his fist - onto the edge - of the shelf
- and the fist moved - fast - to the other side - look at all
the tumbling - books and papers! - and he danced - in the chaos
- and i was paralyzed - until he opened - the window - gently
- and threw out - the contains - of my room - it was then - that
i started - to give him a hand - smiling at him - while he - without
effort - flinged the office chair - into the open air - we heard
it shatter - on the rocks - below us - then came the carpets -
and the dirt - on the floor - i watched him remove - the wallpaper
- down to the blank stone - so fresh was now - my room! -- out
of his bag - the warrior
took - a shining material - which looked like reddish dough -
he rolled it out - and stretched it - on the clean floor - the
walls - and all eight corners - like a craftsman - and quick -
he was - every inch - even the ceiling - all was shining red -
and in this light - the warrior looked - brave and stout - filling
the place - with power - here you are - he said - and there i
was - but where was i? - are you safe? - asked the archer - compassionately
- and indeed i was - what is in this room? - he asked - and i
said - there are you and me together - and a couple of chunks
- in my head - the warrior looked at me - throw the chunks away
- and find some space - but i found no window - it's there - it's
there - he urged -- there was no window - in the room - no door
- and no lamp - no walls - and no floor - there was - no point
of reference - all was open - i could almost - toss the chunks
- right into the universe - around me - so do it - the voice said
- and so i did - small was i - without the chunks - but there
was no point - of reference - what is in this room now? - asked
the voice - of the spirit - of the great warrior - and there was
nothing - there was not even - a room - maybe i was dead - and
the spirit said - maybe you are - what difference does it make?
- and it made no difference -- so i asked him - what are you fighting
for? - and he said - we are very many - again i asked - what for?
- and he said - i am strong - and there is - no other secret --
he took an arrow - and shot it - right into the air - up or down
- nobody knew - its destination - but look at this graceful moment
- this certainty - and skilled perfection - too late it was -
for questions now - and too early for answers - the richness of
nothing - dazzled my eyes - collected in a focal point - of no
content - it was the starting world - and there was - nothing
else - even i was only - a promising young smile - frozen in awe
- when the spirit - of the great warrior - left the situation
- like an unshown - photograph
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