More Than Ankle Deep

[toads_dimensional_rift]

History is not ankle deep here
the walls of the ancient footpath
rise many feet over my head

Roots protrude from 'round the stones
in the mountainside exposed;
the flesh & bone of gods not heard of since the war

Gods 'killed' by the incessant bombardment of
UN troops
Chinese soldiers,
Korean recruits

And enthusiastic new Christians,
erasing Living Beings left and right
because they're somehow 'demons' now.

The manshin know,
can feel the otherworld,
fading fast and yet renewing

The trees and brambles overhead,
I cannot touch their roots
electric jolts my bones in all the worlds at once

and Grandmother of the Mountain Pass
strong, compassionate, terrifying
"we are not dead,
though the strangers taught many to believe so"

all i can do is
make a formal bow,
as to an honored ancestor,

and listen as She speaks

 

---

A note:  When I was a child, I lived in South Korea.  Being the odd bean I am, I made the acquaintance of many people, with and without bodies.  Humans, "Monsters," Spirit Folk, Gods, and more.

A manshin I knew as a neighbor told me many of the Spirit Folk, especially the mountain related ones, had died or chosen to sleep because of the heavy bombardment during the war in the 1950's, and that the rapid acceptance of the various Christianities was also causing them annoyance, so they had to one degree or other, stayed away. This thought caused me a lot of worry and anxiety.  That ANYONE would be so hurt in their heart that they avoided family for so long and maybe even permanently - she had said they died - it made me want to find the People she spoke about and help them feel better if they wanted me to.  Though I did not seek anyone out.

This experience happened not long after that conversation as I was walking behind my family in the mountains just past Suwon (my memory of geography isn't great unless I see a photo of the place, alas!).  My heart was in my throat.  The Lady was amazing!  Huge!  and was accompanied by a tiger, and carried peaches (I think a child carried the peaches). She talked about boundaries and liminal spaces to me.

But I was 12, and had NO CLUE what any of that meant.  I just knew it was right to be RESPECTFUL, like my grandma taught me you are toward royals.  So I did my best.

I'm sure many will tell me I'm wrong, that the Lady doesn't ever do that, that she isn't who she says she is, or that by daring to tell my own experience that this somehow diminishes others' experience (NOT a real possibility, not when it comes to Spirit Folk - they choose who they associate with - humans who seek them out tend not to do so well, so I do not seek them out).  Anyway, this is my experience.

I am sad if it upsets you that it happened.  But I cannot make it un-happen to please you.  And I cannot lie and dishonor Her to please you, either.  If you know Her, you know what pain dishonoring Her would cause you.  Don't ask me to cave to human opinion over Her choice.  The message she gave was for me.  I didn't share 99% of it here.  Only the bit everyone needs to know.  "We are not dead."

I honor each of you reading this. Thank you for your visit.

<I am the author.  I posted this originally at wordpress.com on 4/16/2018.>