Ad Infinitum Book One Master of the Nine Steps

by John Northern

CHAPTER ONE

  I am the rising sun, the son of infinity

  I am the only one who won the sea;

  When your search is done, come to me

  When your wisdom is none, come to see

  To anyone, the sight from me

  To anyone, the light is free;

  So come to me, run—

  Everyone

  And you shall see

  Wisdom is free

  In the sea

  Of the

  Rising

  Sun

  The stars became visible

  Again

  An infinite rush,

  The voice was gone

  I sat

  For a moment

  Sifting sand and memories—

  Cool in the night

  I arose

  Looking away from the stars

  To the desert in front

  And all around

  I moved on

  In thought

  Thinking about the voice

  "Riddles

  As I push through the sea

  Frustrating

  As I track through the sand

  Taunting

  As I search for the sun

  The voice—

  Riddles that

  Cry to me

  As I wade through the rivers of sorrow

  Sing to me

  As I dance through the clouds of joy

  Mourn to me

  As I struggle through the oceans of hate

  Bring to me wisdom

  As I search for the sun

  Yet—how dark my eyes

  The voice—

  Its shadow rises free from the deep

  To fall upon this page of life

  To become another scratch

  In the world of infinity—

  It rushes forth from the movement

  Of my soul

  It throws its wisdom

  laughingly at the world

  It rolls in its laughter

  And wallows in its glory

  It embraces my sorrow

  And glories the more

  It embraces my gladness

  And glories the most

  If only

  I could be the poet"

  I thought

  As I crested another dune

  "To bring forth my own failures

  My own triumphs"

  I stopped, a moment,

  To breathe slower

  I looked again

  For the garden—

  Through straining eyes,

  All was dark but the stars

  And ripples of moonlight

  Upon the desert sands

  "If only it were I were the poet

  Instead of the pen—

  The thought

  Instead of the ink"

  The voice

  Within and without

  Was always with me—

  A stranger,

  A poet in my soul

  And my world

  "You are the life and I the rock

  You the wind and I the sand"

  Silently,

  Inwardly,

  I smiled

  I began walking the crest

  Below

  I saw a set of tracks

  Dying in the sand

  I slid down the crest

  To follow them

  "Yes-

  The voice is my master

  Sounding my depths

  Without my will,

  But

  The day is near"

  I thought jubilantly,

  "And soon

  I will be the master

  Free

  And truly

  Of the power"

  I continued on

  Following,

  Tracking tracks tracking the sun

  I breathed out

  Heavily

  As I trudged up

  The next dune

  The tracks

  Trailed to the crest, over

  And out of sight

  The sand slid

  As I topped the crest,

  In the distance

  I could discern

  The peaks of mountains

  "So,

  Here is the new garden"

  I thought

  I followed the tracks

  Down the dune

  And continued my journey

  Toward the mountains

  I knew that a new garden

  Meant

  New lands

  New adventures

  New cultures

  New people

  New friends and enemies

  (The way of relativity)

  But more importantly

  I knew from prophecies

  That this garden meant

  The end of my search

  In the world as I knew it

  As the mountains became larger

  With my approach

  I could see a jungle to the right of them—

  Miles of stretching green

  Ominous and dark

  "Yes,

  Here is a jungle"

  I thought

  As I moved on

  "A world totally of its own—

  Savage

  Primitive

  Brutal;

  Yet,

  A world more honest

  Than most of the worlds

  Made by man

  A world in which

  Death

  Is a means of survival

  And not pleasure

  Nor sadism

  Nor profit

  Nor any of the other reasons

  That man finds it expedient

  To kill another being"

  I came to a stop

  And scrutinized the fringe

  Further down

  I could see the rolling

  Of the hills and plains

  Continuing and composing

  Completely

  The horizon

  I looked Back

  Toward the mountains

  And moved On

  Soon

  The dunes became smaller—

  They began to level

  Smoothing,

  Calming to meet the jungle

  Moving

  Step upon step

  Upon the desert sands

  Became easier

  As the dunes dwindled

  And the sand became more firmly packed

  Searching ahead

  I could see

  Leafy vegetation

  Trees and vines

  Intertwining

  The ominous foliage

  Forever distant

  "What was that?"

  I squinted my eyes

  And peered further into the dark

  Near the jungle—

  I thought I saw

  Something white

  And fluttering

  I,

  The searcher

  Stood looking

  It seemed

  As if

  A signal,

  Or perhaps

  It was a white leopard

  In curiosity

  I turned my path

  Toward the white

  "I have never seen

  Before

  An animal of the jungle

  Standing silent

  Upon the fringe

  Perhaps someone

  Is in distress"

  I moved silently,

  Leaving tracks behind

  As I traveled upon

  The sands of time

  "Being close to the sun

  And knowing

  The ways of the desert

  Perhaps

  I can help"

  As I came closer

  To the jungle

  And the fluttering white,

  As the moon rose higher

  In the dark sky-

  Shining beams upon beams

  Upon waves and waves

  Of sand and foliage,
/>   And as the noises of the jungle—

  Insects

  Birds

  Predator and victim

  And others

  Became more violent,

  Finally

  Before me

  I could see upon the fringe

  Of desert and jungle—

  A woman

  Merely a woman,

  Beautiful

  She was standing

  Silent

  With wind blowing hair

  And swaying silk

  Like rippling milk in white

  I moved silently

  Closer

  Upon her bosoms

  Long dark hair

  Undulated softly

  In the wind

  "Catly closer," I thought

  "And see the . . ."

  It was then

  Again

  That the ringing

  Intruded

  Ever increasing

  Silent,

  Then soft

  The coming of Ad Infinitum

  Always present

  Never ending—

  But forever

  The silent sound

  I knew

  Once again

  The voice would set forth

  In mental sound

  (And subtly disguised)

  Words of inner wisdom—

  "And

  Like the echoing waves of words

  Whispering

  Upon the oceans of time,

  Resounding,

  Touching

  The edge

  Of my mind—

  The silent voice of Ad Infinitum

  Quiet now

  And listen

  Hear it"