To touch the face of the divine...

By Pritha Lal
Springville, Utah, USA

Rocks with a million stories untold,
Sunsets that paint the valleys gold.

Still waters that run way deep,
Secrets of the universe within, they keep.

When time stands still as a million stars shine,
Maybe just for a fleeting moment,
you touched the face of the Divine…

I came back to the hotel that night after a night cruise on the Colorado River, gently gliding along the rock walls of the Canyonlands and I had no other words or feelings that could capture all that I felt. I cannot recall a moment in my adult life where I was that spellbound, humbled and in awe of the beauty of the Universe in a single moment.

The rock faces told of many stories of how the earth was formed, geologic and scientific the tales were real and interesting. The gradually setting sun told a myriad tales as the skies turned from the scorching ochres to smoother, softer blues and gentle purples. The soft sounds of the water told the tales of this amazing river that goes on to form the Grand Canyon that is visible from space. The quiet power and prowess of the Colorado River tells the stories and fables of history and carry with it so many memories.

The 40,000 watt illumination talk to the history of Utah, the ancient people, the tribes, the tales of love and sacrifice. The sound and light show is spectacular and is as beautifully presented, as is interesting and informative.

The final story teller of this night is the sky with a million stars and a few shooting stars and the soft glistening Milky Way. No one can decipher the stories they tell as one looks back in time and space to see their light reaching us through time. There are no words to fathom the surreality of the moment of the beauty of what one feels within. I recall looking up and finding my vision blurring at times. I thought my glasses were hazy, turned out it was just my eyes. Emotions that run so deep within you sometimes find no words, happiness, sorrow, pain, joy, at moments like this are transfixed and a few tears of gratitude spill out.

You are humbled to be a part of the universe and you realize how small and insignificant you are and yet, you have a role to play in this world, a bit of joy to give, a bit of love to get maybe.. who knows? Your past, your present, your future, all stand still in time and your soul is never the same again, because through all this, you were, for a fleeting second, able to touch the face of the Divine…