Warrior Pilgrimage

Featured in www.pinoyapache.blogspot.com on June 15, 2008

Hanging among the lime cliffs,
Beyond the copper-mine pits,
Found a hole upon a crack,
That stab through solid rock.

Barely squeezing myself into
This chimney from a cave below,
Battery-powered headlight on,
I slithered down a dark unknown.

Felt my adrenaline rush soar,
As I stood upon its rocky floor,
Hearing distant ripples of water,
Proceeding I went beyond further.

Saw a hole barely enough for me,
I squeezed through in on my belly,
Creased above by sharp stalactites,
Poked below by jagged stalagmites.

From that confined passageway,
And from dry rock to wet muddy,
I crawled my way to a sandy shore,
That cradled a stream from a source.

Sloshing on its ankle-deep water,
Or swimming some very deep spot,
I followed its meandering root,
Winding and bending along its path.

At the river's end stood a waterfall,
Twelve feet or so it splashed down,
A huge treat to my wide eyeballs,
A rarity to delight and shower in.

Not content with this breakthrough,
What lies above I have to know,
Up I scaled this cascading flow,
It held a lake that elicit my awe.

An underground river and cascade,
Plus, a subterranean lake to bathe;
All of this arouse envy to some soul,
Hidden under this sheer cliff wall.

But wait! these aren't all I beg of you,
For deep within this body of water,
Found me a sump as I dove below,
Linking it to some concealed grotto.

Holding breath for a minute or so,
I surfaced inside the hidden cavity,
A chamber full of wondrous beauty,
That only a god could craft such view.

Rock chandeliers and curtains hang,
While stalagmites grow unimpeded,
Like a scene of an ancient temple,
Flourishing on all shapes and shade.

Flashing my camera at will,
Capturing these images on film,
I took nothing but pictures,
Killing nothing but time,
Leaving nothing but footprints.