The Shining Man (Movement 1)
"An Autobiography of Everyone"
1
once there was a shining man
who lived inside the sun
with all the other shining people
in the whole universe
or, so he thought
it was warm inside the sun
warm and bright and wonderful
and perfectly full of golden shining magic
magic made of music
and this magical music inside the sun
was a song
an eternal song
radiating out from all the shining people’s hearts
in fact the sun itself was entirely composed of this magic song
if ever the shining people were to forget
or grow tired of the magic song inside their hearts
the sun itself would begin to fade
perhaps even to darken
and disappear completely
but the mere thought that something so awful
would ever
could ever
occur
never even crossed the minds of the shining people inside the sun
too potent was the joy of the magic song they sang together
and too radiant was their love for life
and one another
2
like all of his kin
the shining man was born singing
in fact it was the magic song itself
that first brought the shining man to life
just as it had brought to life
each and every one of his kin
the song’s notes transmuted vibration into pure light
and brought forth the shining people
from the infinite potential of all that is
it gave them form
and substance
and a sense of self
and it gave each one a unique note to sing
a note that had never been heard before
a note that would never be heard again
after that shining person passed back to infinity
the shining man loved to sing the magic song
it was cheerful, soothing
exhilarating and peaceful
all at the same time
it went on within him and without him
at the same time
the song had no beginning, and no end
but rang out ceaselessly
giving life and radiating light
it was all that he had ever known
and all he ever wanted to know
3
while singing their magic song inside the sun
the shining people also danced
a marvelous, elegant, energizing dance
in perfect step with the magic song
in perfect time with its infinite
all encompassing
rhythm
they spiraled slowly out
from the center
toward the sun’s outer edge
then spiraled back in
until they reached the center again
and started the whole thing over
adding new dancers as they emerged
from the sun’s central core
dancing this dance
each shining person had the opportunity
to greet each and every other
to embrace all of their shining relatives in turn
for they were all related as one great shining family
dancing this dance
the shining people were able to share
all of their great love for one another
and all their easy wisdom and joy
as they danced their way through the sun
each become increasingly loving, wise and joyful
perpetual happiness was their birthright
an endlessly buoyant contentment
complete and unwavering
perfectly consistent
utterly constant and steady
life in the sun was absolute fullness
total connection
pure light
pure bliss
pure love
4
when the shining man was first born
at the center of the sun
he had no idea that it had an outer edge
it seemed as though the sun went on forever
that the singing and dancing and love and light
of all the shining people
just went on and on and on and on
but in time the shining man began to perceive
by watching his older relatives as they danced
and listening to the way they sang the magic song
that the sun must indeed have an outer edge
though he couldn’t imagine what it must be like
as he grew past childhood into his adolescence
the shining man began to hear parts of the magic song
he’d never noticed before
to see meaning in the movements of the dance
that he’d never understood as a child
these sounds and movements spoke of experiences
that could not have taken place
in the unchanging, ever-constant
realm of the sun
they spoke of mystery
and change
of darkness
as well as light
in this way the shining man came to realize
that there must be an entirely different kind of space
out beyond the sun
and as he listened and watched his older kin
more closely
he surmised that that it must be possible
to peer out into this
space
while dancing along the sun’s surface
now the shining man really had no idea what space was
or what a surface was, for that matter
but the mystery of it all
made the whole idea of exploring it
that much more exciting
from the first moment he learned of this outer edge
he began singing and dancing his way toward it
with great anticipation
and as the shining man danced his way closer to his goal
the song in his heart grew ever stronger
on and on he danced
embracing each shining brother, sister, cousin
mother, father, aunt, uncle and grandparent in turn
growing more loving, wise and exhilarated
with every step he took
every relative the shining man greeted as he danced
could sense his great enthusiasm
it made the song in their hearts stronger, too
he began to sense
that all the shining relatives who now greeted him along his path
had already been out to this “outer edge” of the sun
and were now dancing their way back
towards its center
they felt great joy for the shining man
knowing what he was about to experience
5
and so it happened that the shining man
who had been singing and dancing his way through the sun
for his entire life
drew near to its outer edge
for the very first time
anticipation grew to a fever pitch
the dance grew more exuberant with every step
the magic song burst forth from his heart louder
and clearer with each familial embrace
“o it won’t be long now” he thought
“until I finally see what’s out there”
and then
the shining man reached the edge of the sun
it was overwhelming…
there stretched out before him
bigger than big
deeper than deep
the great infinite universe presented itself
for the very first time in the shining man’s life
his heart raced and sang like never before at the sight
so filled up with wonder
he added three leaping twirls
and a somersault
to each step of his dance
the shining man’s manic expressions of joy
carried him high up
above the surface of the sun
out into an inky black ocean of darkness
that seemed to have no end
populated with the most amazing assortment of objects
bright, shiny things he saw
far off in the distance
glowing with colors he’d never even imagined
he saw brilliant white pulsars
dense black holes
magnificent multicolored clouds of star dust
and everywhere the shining man looked
he saw massive galactic arrangements of stars
red, blue, yellow, green, purple, and orange
all these strange, beautiful objects formed
the most marvelous shapes and patterns
diamonds and spirals and swirls
twisting and turning
spinning and shifting
forming and collapsing
never in his wildest dreams
had the shining man imagined
such beauty and mystery might exist
it was the most wonderful moment he had ever experienced
6
out here on the surface of the sun
the song in the hearts of the shining people
took on a different tone
it was the same song
cheerful, soothing, exhilarating
peaceful as ever
but out here
the song seemed a little smaller
even as the shining people sang it louder
with all their hearts
when the shining man was inside the sun
the magic song was everywhere
surrounding and sheltering everyone completely
out here, he and his kin saw an entire world
existing outside their song
and they could feel that, try as they might
there was more space out there than they could ever fill up with their singing
it was a profoundly humbling experience
and as the shining man danced his way across the surface of the sun
he began to realize that the dance he’d been dancing his entire life
was now different
in the past, dancing through the sun’s interior
the steps of his dance were all laid out for him
perfectly defined
with very specific steps
to follow in each moment
from his first moment of life
he’d been steadily spiraling out from the sun’s center
right in line with all his shining relatives
greeting all the shining people coming toward him
from the opposite direction
embracing each one just so
in a graceful spinning turn
then moving on to the next embrace
in a perfectly coordinated
predetermined spiraling path
the shining man had never known
so much as a moment of doubt or uncertianty
but out here, on the surface
he had more freedom
for the first time in his life
he could choose which way he wanted to go
there were still relatives all around him
and he still greeted each one he met
in a joyful, loving embrace
but now he was able to pause
to take long moments to himself
to gaze in wonder at the vast universe
beyond the sun
soon he began to plot his course along the surface
seeking out different vantage points
from which to view all the glittering marvels
offered by the great black ocean of darkness overhead
the shining man’s heart was racing like mad
with an exhilaration he’d never known before
and he danced as hard as he could
until he almost collapsed from exhaustion
as he completed his hundredth jump
from the surface of the sun
the shining man’s relatives opened their arms
beckoning him to return
to follow them back down
into the heart of the sun once again
they waited expectantly
for him to rejoin the throng
so that together
they could dance their way back
to the center
to the sheer bliss of singing light
to the dancing glow of eternal love
but the shining man hesitated
the great open vastness
that he had so recently discovered
was so magnificent
so intoxicating
so liberating
it held him fast
at the surface of the sun
his kin reached out
waving for the shining man to follow
to take the path laid out by time
to follow the pattern of the sun people
to spiral back to the center
so that he could greet the ones
still making their way toward the surface
just as others had greeted him
on his journey to this place
but the shining man didn’t budge
he couldn’t
something in his heart
had awakened
at the sight of the starry vast beyond
and now he felt
something very new
something very unnerving
he felt there was no turning back
no return to the familiar
no possible continuation
of the traditional, familial, safe and sure path
now the stars called out to the shining man
the inky blackness of empty space
tugged at his soul like a magnet
there was no resisting its pull
then the shining man looked lovingly on his people
those who had always loved and sheltered him so well
did they not feel this same feeling?
this desire to run free and explore?
studying them more closely than had ever had before
the shining man realized
that none of them shared his mad fever
his irresistible urge to leave behind
everything they’d known
to taste all that the universe might offer
and so he shined forth onto them
all the gratitude he could muster
even as he gathered his every ounce of strength
and prepared himself
for a launch into the abyss
his kin threw him long sidelong stares
unsettled by his strange behavior
why did he not rejoin them
when it was obviously time to do so?
they knew well
that it was not unusual
for certain of their shining kin to leave the sun
to go exploring the vast universe beyond
in fact, this was expected
of the elders
those who had danced their way
through the sun many times over
and in so doing developed
great strength, wisdom and understanding
being well prepared for their great journey
these elders left the sun in droves everyday
never to return
but it was only after living long
full lives with their kin, the shining people
that these elders would die
to the shining world of the sun
to be reborn into the life of darkness
and mystery
out beyond the perimeter
the shining man was too young
far too young and inexperienced to attempt such a feat
and so his kin began dancing toward him
to bring him back into the fold
to safety and security
to absolute connection
with family
with light
with love
with the eternal song
and the eternal dance
of the sun
in half a moment they would be upon him
steering him back in the correct direction
preserving the integrity
of the song
of the dance
of the music
the shining man’s love for his kin was so intense
he nearly broke free from the siren call
of the great mysterious unknown
he almost turned back
to the bosom of his shining family
but just before his kin drew near enough to touch him
the shining man gazed again at the intoxicating abyss
and all at once
before another doubt could reenter his mind
expended every ounce of the massive energy
he’d been gathering within himself
he took a mighty leap
so strong was the intensity of his desire for adventure
the shining man broke away from the sun
with enough force to overcome the great magnitude
of its gravity
and it was then that the shining man received a taste of freedom
far beyond anything he had known before
instead of falling back towards the surface of his home
as he had with every dancing leap before
the shining man continued to fly
out into the great mysterious beyond
into the inky blackness
into the unknown
[CONTINUED IN “The Shining Man” (Part 2)...]
(2015)
The seed of this story was planted in my mind (and soul) when I was 17 years old, started coming into focus a little more in my 20s, and is now, finally, ready to be put into a readable form to be related to others in perpetuity.
#ColeHons #Man #Mythology #Prose #ShiningSpiritStory #The
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