You have only to
brush
with one finger
the lightest possible
Shan shui* stroke
and colour is cancelled,
light and shadow cease
to exist,
the world re- cedes,
d i s t i l l a t e s
and calligraphic Taoist thought
contracts to the momentousness
that is your sweeping finger’s tip.
How trifling
our existence is, my love
in all the vastness that is the universe
and yet, the phenomenon
of that gentlest of Neidan* forces that you
transfer to me, mystically sacredly
renders me more than speechless
for what are mountains
when compared to one man
whose touch can banish
the Death of an endless winter
crack glacial waterfall enflame internal alchemy
and make me feel almost
human
once more.
Shan shui refers to a style of Chinese painting that involves or depicts scenery or natural landscapes, using a brush and ink rather than more conventional paints. Mountains, rivers and often waterfalls are prominent in this art form.
Neidan is an array of esoteric doctrines and physical, mental, and spiritual practices that Taoist initiates use to prolong life and create an im
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