Solitude of a Night in Prague

I’ve never welcomed the darkness as much as tonight. The isolation clears my head; this solitude of nothingness, paraphrasing the philosophy of the Dao de Jing, …holds everything. Such silence is rare here on the streets of one of Europe’s oldest cities, where in the daytime each passing second arrives quicker than the last. At this hour, however, time essentially stands still. The shadow of night…

The Boy From Po Toi

Echoes of a ghost?  Of the future?  Of the past? There is a feeling of perplexity.  I’m no longer standing in the conference room on the top floor of a skyscraper.  There are no floor-to-ceiling windows with Hong Kong harbor far below.  And my Armani suit?  Transformed into what appears to be rags.      There is panic, but also familiarity.  I look down at my hands holding…

The Ukrainian Muse and the Paradox of Life

Alone I walk.  The bite of the winter chill does not let up, colors of the world fade into different shades of bleakness.  The ache for youth pulsates strong although I’m acutely aware each passing second takes me further away from this dream. A nondescript voice echoes in my head, “the closer to death you are, the closer to life you become…” My turned-up…

Featured Photographer: Randall Collis

Originally posted on indahs: dive, travel & photography:
Welcome to the 12th edition of the Featured Photographer monthly post. Please meet Randall Collis, also known with artist name as Dalo Collis. I have been following his blog for years and admiring his photography and writing. I am sure some of readers have been familiar with Randall’s photography at Global Sojurn Photography. But, do you know what…

Absinthe ~ Sojourn with the Green Goddess

My glass of absinthe arrives accompanied by an Oscar Wilde quote: “A glass of absinthe is as poetical as anything in the world. What difference is there between a glass of absinthe and a sunset?” The hues reflecting into the window, while a sunrise instead of a sunset, agree with this claim: beauty, wrapped within inspiration. I make a silent toast and close my eyes….

A Lifetime in Eight Seconds

Breathe.   Pray. Please let me make it through these next eight seconds.   …just one more time.   0.0″ Pure silence, then the vacuum of space explodes. The rustic crack of the gate breathes fire into the beast below. Stillness in the air is replaced by a typhoon. With a jolt, my life begins again. 1.0″ Taunt but forgiving, I lay back as…

Time is Fleeting, Never Stop

Unfamiliar territory, the uncertainty paralyzes. A surge of panic fills my head and heart, only to be soothed by the perfect amber of a freshly poured Czech beer. “Here I go again…” Lost. Around me is a language I do not understand. Spreadsheets in front of me I cannot comprehend. A feeling of being exactly where I should be. I relax, surprised by the…

Musings of my Quantum World

The verdict: a decision to affect and disrupt a life. My choice to veer off the comfortable path, abandon the current state of happiness and venture into the unknown. Why? To chase down a mysterious, obscure sensation I cannot explain. Inhale. Exhale. Breathe in the fresh air flowing off Hood Canal and let the peacefulness of the surroundings make the decision for me. The…

The Thin Gauze of Doubt and The Multiverse

The scene is one I can imagine centuries ago. A young man overlooking his homeland, within his reach a promise of a career to ensure him of a great life. A “normal life” both he and his family have dreamt about since he was a kid. His dream at his fingertips, he does not move. He sits there perplexed at the struggle within his…

Women of the American West: Pursuing Excellence

The glint in her eyes mixed with the afternoon sun lulls us in before a quick shift in the saddle flaunts her message: a woman with a Cowgirl Spirit can stretch, bend, and break the rules society lays at her feet. The whisper of the wind matches the cadence of her gallop.  Her light laughter trails off, leaving us cowboys choking in a cloud…