Far
Traveler’s Log:
The
Epistles of Kurata
Book One of the Far Traveler
Saga
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher.
Published
by SoulDance
5112 5th Avenue Drive NW
Bradenton, FL 34209
Second
edition: May 2011
Copyright © 2011 by David Michael
Hoskins
ISBN: 9781613641781
Artwork
by Mahalene Lewis
www.emPOweringNOW.com
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
~*~
Dedicated to my family, my friends, and the One
~*~
Introduction
Glory
to you, Far Traveler ~ and Life everlasting!
A hearty if
somewhat archaic greeting used by some who travel in ways not
measured in inches, miles, and continents. In the following pages
you'll find what I’ve come to dub the Far Traveler's log. It is a
collection of writings which appear to have been letters and poems to
a friend - from a Knight of some modern day mystical order. The
letters were discovered while cataloging an estate. After reading
through this log, it has become clear that I was chronologically - if
vicariously - following the author through some form of spiritual
awakening and transformation.
The vast majority of the letters start with the greeting “Glory to you, Far Traveler, and Life everlasting” so we took the liberty of placing the greeting at the beginning of each group of letters, as they were found bundled together by myself and my research team.
I thought this journal might be of interest to you, so enjoy, and may you travel far.
David Michael Hoskins
~*~
Chapter 1
Glory
to you, Far Traveler
and Life everlasting
The following letters were found bundled together, and appear to be the oldest among the estate’s collection. We have endeavored to keep the letters grouped as we found them. Read on and watch the sleeper awaken.
~ DMH
~*~
GREETINGS
Cynical?
Me?
Surely
you jest, my friend
This must be a test you sent
Though the
resemblance is remarkable
I must agree!
I
kneel before you
A chastened questing knight
I beg your
forgiveness
It shames me that you were witness
To my churlish
display of weakness in the face of adversity
My
anger was born of disappointment
Fueled by pain and a touch of
despair
This grail quest is a harsh one at times
More so when
you walk it alone
and no one else Dares
But we're never truly alone, are we?
Vanity
has gotten the best of the mate
It left me in spirit - and I
noticed too late
It has no spirit
No enthusiasm
No
appreciation of grace
Obsessed with possession
Incapable of
free expression
Though it denies it in the light of reality
The
dreaded two-face
Yet ever onward we travel - as far as we can
~*~
THE KING TAKES A FALL
Hail
to thee, my friend
Glory to you
The knights stand
tall
Checkmate in two
The king takes a fall
You
know you have a broken heart
When you shake it
Try to make it
shine
But the battery's dead
The damn thing can't start
It
just twitches and shudders
Shakin' in time with the tears fallin'
like rain
The
pain - when you touch it
When the song is too deep
Doesn't seem
like it hurt this much last time
Can you still weep?
All
you need is a little love
The seed of hope
A little shove in
the right direction
A touch of faith to help you cope
The
wonder that brings resurrection
Fare thee well!
~*~
ON THE PATH AGAIN
What
hills do you roam, my friend
What stars smile upon you
What
eyes brighten at your approach?
What land do you call your home?
I
sense your doubt
I shout - I implore
Don't ignore the
Light!
See it shining, oh so bright
In the places, in the faces
of those you trust
The smile - without cunning
No thought of
running
The fourth step on the stairway
Silent. Cold. Covered
with dust
Clear
the cobwebs, the disappointment from your eyes
I know the hunger
within you
This spell of darkness you're under
Rise above -
watch with wonder
Take love by the throat if you must
But
remember the path
Remember the path
Let
us start once again on yon golden path
The daily blood bath of
strife
The teaching - the reaching out
Let this life fill your
heart with light
May
your eyes shine with wonder
Sheltered under the geas of the
quest
Let us rend this darkness asunder
Feel the thunder
~*~
OPEN UP
Prerequisites
for a bit of that grace:
Joyous rapture
Howling
wasteland
Reality may strike like a slap on the face, man!
Open!
Open
eyes
Open mind
Open heart
Open hand
Come walk with me in
the Promised Land
You
hold the key in your hand
It's time you made a stand
Come walk
with me
Shed the shackles of this world and be free
Come on -
open up!
Come take your fill from the loving cup
~*~
WEST WIND
You
are missed, my friend
On the west wind
I send you greetings
What
meetings has lady luck sent your way?
With whom have you
romped
With whom have you stomped
What toys do you play with
these days?
Tell
me of the passion plays
The rages
The iceheart
On what stage
do you posture above the masses?
Who's
been naughty, who's been nice
Does the future rest on a roll of
the dice?
What passes for reality in your neck of the wood?
As
for the local scene
Well...
People in hell want ice water,
don't they?
The beast rages
'Gainst the golden cage of vows
Its
howls pierce the night - it screams for freedom
But
the sight has returned
The knight no longer burns with rage
The
stage is filled with light once again
While pretenders dance in
the wings
Passion
sings in the heart
The cathedral rings with the laughter of old
gods
Bodies sheathed in sweat
Never regretting the touch - just
as much as the law allows
May
your mind be free
May the light shine upon thee
The dancer -
the drummer
Aye, life's a bummer without you near me!
Fare thee well!
~*~
AWAKENING
I
lift the shroud from my eyes
Behold the light in the sky
In the
people, in the land
Given sight, I at last understand
What once
meant so much - now holds no lure
This
time I’m sure
There are dark ones and pure
I’ve seen
through the lies
The masks, the disguise
Laws, doctrines, and
dogmas only seek to bind
Seeking souls shackled and bound in their
minds
I
acknowledge my crimes – unforgiven
The sins I’ve committed
The
little wars that I wage
Against my darkness, and others'
Against
the ignorance which smothers the light
In
the book of history
We'd merit but a sentence - perhaps a page at
most
Unless we do more than through this life merely ghost
Unless
we reach out
With a touch or a shout
Leave our mark or our
scars on society
I’ve
seen the light
I’ll take the fight
To the depths of hell, if
I must
I’ll free you from your fears
Perhaps even dry your
tears
Should you need me, if you need someone to trust
In
my chest beats a new heart
Its beat sets me apart
From the
cattle, the chattel, the sheep
Ah, but such knowledge rarely comes
cheap
Come!
Awaken
from your Sleep
~*~
Chapter 2
The following selection of letters looks to be the next package sent by the writer. It would appear that the writer made some discoveries.
~ DMH
~*~
THE FOCUS
Many
thanks for the tome you sent
Time spent in study
Is indeed time
well spent
The lotus
Should we take the time to notice
Is
already in full bloom
This
knight has been a fool to assume
That the rage had gone away
It
was merely biding its time
Hiding in the shadows
Waiting to
make its play
The
hand trembles
The brow creased in pain
The mind
dissembles
Focusing awareness on what's to be lost or gained
Beyond
religion
Beyond temptation
This endless cycle of
indecision
Pointless ponderings and frustration
The Buddha was
right -
Desire brings darkness, not light
I’ll
join you now in this dance of souls
The focus
Without the
hocus-pocus
The light, the sound, the spirit - our goals
Joy -
the coin that makes the heart pound
Waking dreams
Shall drown
out the screams of the damned
~*~
MANIFEST
The
hunger
The hunt
Stalking the foolish ones
Who walk alone in
the night
At
the frothing fringe of the kill
A resonance in the wind
Moonlit
ivory glistens
The beast grows still
Awakening will - it
listens
The
sleeper awakens
Rising to stand as man
Flowing mane caressed by
zephyr's breath
The open hand withdraws, stays death
Starbrow
Crowned
by antlers tined
The hunger - refined - transformed to light
By
the call
Prismatic
wings
Starlit shelter
Bright soul sings
Pinions spread to
avert the fall
Sleeping
archon awakened
Manifest
Incarnate
The steps of the path
taken
The shriek of fate's chains broken
Sacred words
spoken
Rising to claim the lion's share
~*~
RESTED
Ask
and ye shall receive
To see - to not be deceived
By the mask -
and what lies behind it
Take
perception
Grind it beneath the heel of truth
Wipe away the
dust
Then trust this new vision
Glory
and honor are yours for the taking
If thy hand be strong enough
If
thy vision be long enough
To make it
To take the next step on
the path
Yon
hoary tome hath surrendered its secrets
Mine eye hath been
opened
Tokens of grace
I seek
And gather
Freedoms lost -
then remembered
When
you rise
Focus not
Hear not the beast's demand for
attention
Desire for ascension
Thy will be done
Walk
in the sun
With yon fair maiden
Run beneath the stars
together
For the hunter never truly roams alone
Fare thee well!
~*~
GRAIL
The
steady hand
The steady heart
The open hand is just the start
Watch
your self
Stop and ask yourself
Whose side am I on, anyway?
Do
you have the strength to stay your hand
You must understand
We're
all; yes all of us, god's children
Pure
in spirit
Body, soul, and mind
The kind heart
As important
as the gentle hand
Walk this land in light
Created
in his image
Can you touch the trinity?
The visage of
light?
The infinity of the soul
The might of the body - the
spirited one
A
merciless sun beating down
The quest is a harsh one
Have you
the strength
Have you the faith
Can you go to the lengths
required? - the test
'Tis a narrow path you tread
Can you
accept the challenge? With honor?
Watch
in wonder
Behold the gifts - my God! Such gifts!
The beauty,
the light
Delight in the gifts
Share with others - give them
light!
The grail overflowing
My cup runneth over
Every waking moment
~*~
PLUG IN
Slam
dunk the cyberpunk
I’ve found the backdoor to the
system
Analysis
Of the database of bliss
If the instructions
were in the owner's manual
I guess I must have missed 'em!
Hearken,
my friend!
Everyday we're embarking' on a new journey
The roar
of the crowd
Is never too loud
When knights are called to joust
at the tourney
The
kiss of the goddess
When the silence sings to thee
Don your
celestial headphones
Plug in!
Tune in - be one with the
music
Souldance!
Take
the warrior's stance
In the doorway of the cathedral
Visualize
- a simple cross in the back
Its base: golden memory
See the
light refracted from its surface
Cross becomes man
Raise your
hands - rub your eyes
Spin the wheels - draw back
And
realize
The waking dream
Fare thee well!
~*~
SWANSONG
From
out of the silence
The goddess sings to me
Shaken from the
dream
By reality
For seconds it seems
Yet an eternity
'Til
her song again soothes my soul
Holy
and bright
Her embrace bestows light
My heart races
As I
chase her
Delighted laughter echoes through the night
Her
lips bring white fire
Kiss my temples
Then my brow
How her
touch leaves me burning
Delirious with desire
Lost
and dazed and alone
Without her song in my ear
Wandering
starlit mazes
Without her voice ringing clear
How
I burn for her!
I turn the corner and she's there
Sweet
seductive swansong
Resonant - in the long silences
~*~
CATNAP
I’ve
heard that curiosity killed the cat
But at the threshold of a new
experience
Do we dare hold back?
Will we be just a snack
Just
another tasty morsel
Another foolish mortal consumed by fate?
A
step too far
To meddle in the forbidden
There's no room for
fear
When we seek what is hidden
- on the other side of the
mountain
The
fountain of youth?
Perhaps at last - the proof
That the words
of the prophets held truth?
Is nightfall just a spear-cast away?
The
doorway
The gate
They say it's never too late
Two walk the
narrow path
The way
So
now I lay me down to sleep
The sweet song of the goddess near to
heart
The pride of curious cats take a nap
While our Father
whispers of truth
- and warms our ears
Dreaming
thunder
Lost in wonder
Souldance - in the light
Under the
watchful gaze of the stars
The Far Travelers roam along the many
Ways
~*~
Chapter 3
These letters give us a taste of the philosophy our writer holds to. We noted that there appeared to be a significant change in the writing materials used in the letters. Perhaps the author had some change in circumstances. One can only speculate.
~ DMH
~*~
THE CUP
The time of trials and fasting is over
An
image of the grail
Shines bright in mine eye
Hearken to this
tale
For the knight never lies
Save to protect the frightened
and the blind
From themselves
Behold
- the golden chalice
Cleansed of malice
Free from stain
Shining
contours reflecting light
Its rim adorned with an eagle
Its
wings swept back in flight
So
deep, this Holy Grail
Yet filled to the brim with nectar
Holy
wine
Happy are they who are called to dine
The hero's feast
The
beast rests at the feet of the master
Filled
from above
The light pours in
The chorus of angels
The song
- free from sin
Hail,
holy knight, full of grace
The open hand
The serene face
Ever
reaching for the light
The humble warrior
Who stands for what
is right
Fare thee well!
~*~
MATRIX
The
past is the past
We let it be
Let it go
The
future we nurture
We plant seeds
And let them grow
Knights
quest for the grail
No longer weak
No longer frail
Made
strong enough to seek beyond the veil
By the fact
That what we
were told was reality
Pales when held up to the light
They
weren't exactly wrong
But they weren't exactly right
Furiously
curious
We ignore the beast's howl for attention
Nimbly step
over the weeds of dissension
That seek to entangle us
That seek
to strangle us before we can become free
The
strength of the knight
Comes from devotion
Disciplined
will
Applied with the skill of a surgeon
The blade which cuts
through the illusions
- the darker emotions
That bind us and
drag us down into darkness
- the starkness of monochrome material
existence
It
takes great strength of will
To stand steady
To be ready and
willing
With our open hand outstretched
Strong enough to open
up our fist
Open our hearts
Open our minds
Open our eyes
To
resist the temptation to strike out - to strike back
To be moved
by compassion - rather than attack
Rather than smack those who
sleep
We seek to awaken them - as we have awakened
We
walk the path rather than ride the high horse
Few understand our
laughter
But that's just par-for-course - for the ones who
sleep
Always we continue on
No matter how far we must travel
No
matter how long it takes to unravel the riddle
We call life
Truth
is a double-edged blade
- handle with care -
That which we wish
to control
We must be aware of
That which we wish to be aware
of
We must seek
There is no room for fear
We cannot be
meek
Or our birthright will never be ours
We
speak what is in our heart
We are silent within
Oft' we find
that we are the lonely hunter
We stay hungry - stay
curious
Watching with the wonder of a child
Directing our
passion, our hunger toward the higher goal
Play
the game
Win or lose
Our reaction must be the same
Be a good
sport
But we must choose to be so now
Before we go out amongst
the rabble
The gifts we seek
Will speak within our heart and
give us peace
Seek, my friend, and you will know that I don't
babble
Look
around you
Open your eyes
There is a difference among the
people
It is not in the color - but in the mind
In the
foundation each has chosen
Spirit or material
The open heart -
or the frozen
Glory
to you, Far Traveler
And Life everlasting
With the blade in
your hand
Come stand with me and fight against the darkness
Sever
the chains which bind you to the past
Come dance with me in the
light
Come experience the passion and the treasures
The peace
without measure
~*~
RAJA
Hatha
is the fist
The grasping hand
That reaches for and breaks
The
chains which bind the snake
In slumber
Lost
in the magic of the flex
The grip of the fist is lost
Serpent
slips free - becomes dragon
Dragon rises to ravage the temple
A
song is heard within - difficult to detect
One might suspect the
cost is too high
The
sigh of the wind through the trees
Raja is the open hand
cupped
to receive the resonance
The opening song and dance
at the
theater of fools
The empty battered chalice
on the bottom of a
crystalline pool
The sweet song within the silence
which cools
the fires of the dragon
Amazing
grace, how sweet the sound
Come sit with me in the back row of the
theater
Watching the silver screen
Experience the sensaround
Awareness
in control - feel the pull
Tie the chi to the base of the
staff
Come laugh with me in the light
We - rather than I
Touch
the sky
Fare thee well!
~*~
MERCENARY
Elder
battlefields call to me now
The steel of my blade shall be the
plow
To reap
To sow
A grim harvest from bloody furrow
Bitter
winds cleanse my soul
Pyres stain storm clouds in darkened
sky
Charnel smoke
Dreams lie broken
Silence shattered by the
raven's cry
Nay,
not even holy water can cleanse mine bloodstained hands
Aye, the
deeds I’ve done
Slain heroes left unsung
The crimson
path
Maelstrom's aftermath
The prudent deny me passage through
their lands