Gymea Lilies

From Dora Creek to Awaba
each side of the Main North line
throws open forests for the mind
through windows of each railway car:
waves of lilies, bright green blades
of leaves swirl between the trees
and, from each clump, a thin green stem
to fire-crackers at the end
of their trajectories and first
brilliant red explosive bursts—
one on another, such red
on red, four metres in the air—
we lift our eyes as we glide past.
Beauty makes our minds stop there,
we slip into another realm
where we never thought to tread.
With one glimpse we meditate
long, enraptured hours and, yes,
contemplation is a state
along the path to holiness
where souls may grow to entertain
the final wonder that we seek;
but in the meantime take the train
from Awaba to Dora Creek.

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