Himalaya:

Some Thoughts about Symbols & Consciousness-Raising

Visual poem about the Himalayan mountains: 'there are times when earth touches heaven and stars almost seem in reach when our eyes are confounded by massive vertical structures and gods seem to dwell on mountain peaks. for some the himalayas are a chain of mountains. for others a nuisance between delhi and beijing. for still others, they represent intriguing natural biomes. to me they are cathedrals of snow and living poetry'

An-Yi let out a cynical laugh that rang through the quiet coffee shop, her fingers hovering over her glowing keyboard. "There are no mountains!" she said, shaking her head as she gestured toward the monitor. "Just pixels on a computer screen!"

Bhäraté leaned back, a playful glint in his eye as a sly smile tugged at his lips as he drank a cold cappuccino. "Aren't you making a mountain out of nothing?"

Chariya mused softly, his gaze drifting past the digital display into the distance as if visualizing the frozen, jagged peaks. "What are the Himalayas, really? That uplifting of earth actually symbolizes an uplifting of consciousness."

Daiki stroked his chin thoughtfully, considering the idea with a slow, deliberate nod. "Perhaps to some. The same thing symbolizes things entirely different to other people."

Chariya conceded, leaning forward with an earnest, luminous intensity in his eyes. "Granted. But human consciousness can soar so much higher than we ordinarily imagine. The Himalayas remind us of that."