September 16th

Bridge

Dream arch shimmers in storm clouds:
Bridge between heaven and earth.
Its entrance is hard to find.


In legends, they say that the rainbow is the bridge between heaven and earth. Think how difficult it is to walk this bridge. Not only does it appear very seldom, but we cannot easily find it. It seems to be just at the horizon, but the more we go toward it, the more it eludes us. To find its end, to even stand at its base and contemplate the dizzying heights that must hover over its high arch is even more impossible. If we were to stumble upon that sacred path, could we be light enough and pure enough to walk its raindrop surface to the embraces of gods?
My companion says that he once saw a triple rainbow. What a rare sight indeed! Truly, the land where he saw it must have been blessed, and he was lucky to have such beauty revealed to him.
But then again how high must heaven be to need three insurmountable bridges?


Personal Interpretation

Some say the rainbow is the bridge between Heaven and Earth. How ephemeral it is, seeming to vanish as we approach it. Perhaps there is a lesson in this notion. Heaven is unattainable to us while we are bound to the mortal coil. The best we can hope to do is marvel from afar. A thing is not made less beautiful because it eludes us. Some might argue that it is this characteristic about a thing that makes it more beautiful. There is true value in reaching for perfection even if we can never attain it. Sometimes it is enough to observe a thing, to be immersed in it, to be moved to wonder. We spend so much time glorifying ourselves. Why not glorify nature for once? It holds untold mysteries.