Playfully…

(A playful bird.)

Playfully you hid from me.
All day I looked.

Then I discovered
I was you,
and the celebration
of That began.

~ Lalla (India)

About a month or two ago I was flipping through Yoga Journal magazine.  I think it was the June issue but don’t hold me to that as I no longer have the copy to check.  I came across the poem quoted above as part of a review of the book Mala of the Heart: 108 Sacred Poems.  I had an almost immediate and interesting inner reaction to it.  It was as if someone opened a window in my soul, letting in a strong breeze and a bright light.

It is a difficult thing to describe.  It was a lot like looking at a breathtaking sunrise or sunset and suddenly, briefly, feeling a connectedness to everything.

From time to time I would think about it as I meditated.  It came to mind again when we were at the Lake Irene trail head in Rocky Mountain National Park and I saw a bird flitting around playfully in a pine tree, almost inviting me to follow as it hopped from branch to branch, peering out every now and then in a game of hide-and-seek.

I bought a copy of the book just before we set out on our trip to Colorado.  I haven’t had a chance to do much more than flip through it to look for the exact wording of Lalla’s poem.  I’m looking forward to reading more, and the journeys and adventures that might bring.