A Brief Glimpse

A Brief Glimpse

I put down the spent match. The feint flicker of light on the end of the hemp wick in my hands is within moments a steady glow. I hold the flame over the bowl, a repurposed ratchet socket outfitted with a screen, full of freshly crumbled herb. A thick mass of white smoke, like the fluffiest clouds, is drawn into the bottle as I pull the bowl, and with it the empty Gatorade bottle out of the bucket of water. Removing my thumb from the hole in the side, I lean forward, seal my lips around it, and inhale. My lungs are filled with the sweet leaf's vapors, until they begin to expand, forcing their way into my bloodstream. Hold it, two, three, let it out, slowww. A mighty coughing fit rocks my body. My cat opens her eyes to give me an exasperated look, then rolls over to resume napping. I sit back and melt into the couch. Once again, my mind is at its comfortable baseline.
     I sit in quiet contemplation for a while. As I do, I'm aware of the passing of time. I watch the second hand click by on the clock. After what seems like an instant and an eternity, I get up, to heed the call of the mundane world. The bike ride to the store for groceries is invigorating and I can't help but smile, but the influence of mainstream society's overflowing bullshit manages to make its presence known. Splashes of capitalism, racism, consumerism, sexism, materialism, post modernism, affront my senses, the assortment of isms widening the schism between the way of life I could no longer stand and myself.
     Cat food, milk, eggs, matches. With my supplies procured, I make my way home. I stop at a red light and watch a few cars go past. A moment later, the traffic light turns blue. I pedal on. As I pass by the park near my house, I notice a giraffe standing calmly near some trees, eating leaves from the tops of trees. It is engulfed in bright orange flames that make a low crackling noise. It turns its head atop it's long neck and watches me as I go by, perfectly serene.
     Back at my house, I pack two of the six chambers of my pipe with more Master Kush. The dank, piney aroma fills the room, and I watch the tendrils of smoke rise from the cherried bowl, writhing and twisting, until I exhale a stream of smoke, causing it all to disperse and thicken the foggy haze in the air. My mind is elevated, deepening my spiritual connection with the world around me. The familiar sensation of reverberation spreads throughout my body, connecting me to the divine vibration of the universe.
     Sitting cross-legged on the floor, I feel my consciousness awaken at the base of my spine and climb it, like fluid electricity trickling upwards. The top of my head, my crown chakra, is set ablaze with golden energy as I meditate deeply. I feel a low rumble as of thunder begin to emanate from within me, swelling in intensity like an ocean wave, until with a massive BOOM and a sharp CRACK, a bolt of lightning erupts from the top of my head, illuminating everything. Following the lightning, an immense cobra slithers quickly out of my skull straight upwards, turning in the air as if not bound by the law of gravity, until its entire length is hovering and slowly moving in the air in front of me, as if underwater.
     The snake stares at me, its eyes seeing straight into my soul. I blink, and in that instant the snake before me is a woman, beautiful and mysterious. Her skin is pale, like moonlight on ivory, but not lacking in warmth, and her rich, black hair is pulled into an elaborate bun. She is dressed in exotic garb; a tight top that leaves her midriff bare, a silk scarf draped over her shoulders, and loose fitting pants, reminiscent of the Far East. She is adorned with many pieces of intricate jewelry. Upon her brow is a tilaka, the sacred symbol of the third eye. The woman stands barefoot, on one leg, her right leg raised and bent out to her side, the sole of her foot facing the ground. In her left hand she holds a lotus blossom in front of her, and her right arm is out to her side and bent upwards, her hand in an esoteric pose beside her head. The woman looks at me intently with her dark, slanted eyes. Leaving the lotus floating at waist level, she brings her palms together, fingers pointing to the sky, lowers her leg, and bows. "I am the Goddess Kundalini, the Serpent Fire, the Vital Winds. You have awakened me and given me form. The Ganja has smiled upon thee, blessing you with Enlightenment." As she spoke, the room faded from view. We were now standing on a white sandy beach on a small, tropical island, surrounded by an ocean and unbroken horizon. However, instead of the sky above us, we were surrounded by the inky blackness of space, full of the twinkling stars and other heavenly bodies. I become aware of a noise, Aum, the primordial sound of the universe, like an eternal chanting, emanating from everywhere at once, and yet from no discernible source.
     "Be at peace," Kundalini said. She bowed again and turned back into the snake, then she slithered into the air, erupt into flame and in a burst of speed traced the symbol for infinity, then vanished. Alone on the cosmic beach, I'm free to contemplate everything.