Eternal by Bodhi Smith

Nov 26, 2021

"eternal" a brand new impression and blog from me...
 
"she stands next to him as his cure
likewise all that matters is next to her, 
like trees looking off into the eternal free, 
all warm and cozy nestled by the sea, 
knowing this is where for sure
they were always meant to be 
forever from here to eternity" ― bodhinku, eternal 
     
"i don't want to be lost in love, i want to be found. to be discovered and uncovered bit by glorious bit; revealed and revered in each glorious facet. i don't want to be lost in love; i want to surrender into it fully. to make a willing leap and not a stumbled fall. i want to be eternal within her light, seen, not hidden. to allow only her to stand before my altar and into my inner temple. only her spirit present, conscious, and open. to only welcome her into my arms. she, the lady who stands beside me equal, authentic and whole. i don't want to be lost in love; i want to embrace it completely, unafraid, raw and blissfully awake with her wrapped around me like an aura, penetrating my meaning, making me complete" ― c. ara campbell (with additions by bodhinku)
 
"life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward eternal in the same direction" ― antoine de saint-exupery, the little prince
 
"whenever beauty looks, love is also there; whenever beauty shows a rosy cheek, love lights her fire from that flame. when beauty dwells in the dark folds of night, love comes and finds a heart entangled in tresses. beauty and love are as body and soul. they have been eternal since the beginning of time, side by side, step by step" ― jalaluddin rumi
 
"contentment alone is enough indeed, the bliss of eternity can be found in your contentment" ― lao tzu, tao te ching 
 
"anywhere we might be
no matter how ugly 
or good the weather
we're there eternally
loving together
knowing you, knowing me
knowing nirvana's pleasure
as far as i can see
only your eyes, your face
glowing with thee
takes me to the place
anywhere we might be
all night and diurnal
together eternal" ― bodhinku, eternal
  
"we are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. life is eternal. we have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. this is a precious moment. it is a little parenthesis in eternity" ― paulo coelho, the alchemist   
 
this song is just one beautiful tune, full of adoration and devotion, eternal love of two connected souls ... "from here to eternity" by michael peterson   ... (just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the song)... 
 
"i did everything i could to get you here tonight. without telling you why, now girl if you only would please hold out your hand, and just close your eyes. i've been dying to ask you this one burning question: will you be mine, from here to eternity? i'm asking you to share your life with me, now and forever i guarantee i'll always stay by your side. i promise my love to you. i'm willing and able and ready to. whatever you need, i am here for you. and i'll always be from here to eternity...well, i saved a year for this ring. i can't wait to see how it looks on your hand. i will give you everything that one woman needs for a one woman man. i'll be strong, i'll be tender. a man of my word, and i will be yours from here to eternity. i'm asking you to share your life with me. now and forever i guarantee i'll always stay by your side. i promise my love to you. i'm willing and able and ready to. whatever you need, i am here for you, and i'll always be from here to eternity" ― michael peterson,  from here to eternity
 
"writing makes me think about what lies deep inside me, it's a process that helps me reflect and understand my enigmatic emotions better...and today this blog makes me feel so thankful for those that truly love me, especially this eternal love inside, for her (wherever she is), for my light behind these words today. this is my thanksgiving, a day centered around feeling grateful for having only that which is now in my life" ― bodhinku, eternal
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MEANING
"i no longer have to imagine such a love. for she is here now. she was always here. i carry her in my heart eternally" ― bodhinku, eternal
 
"eternal" is defined by merriam-webster as: lasting or existing forever; without end or beginning
 
there's been a deep underlying message in all my blogs for the past few months...an undercurrent in my psyche, and one that was the stream of thought in most of those weekly blogs...i was pleading to her, though i had not met her yet. pleading to meet her, though i already knew her. hoping beyond hope and i did not stop believing she was real and was looking for me, feeling the same way i was, on a divergent path to discover me...
 
in the labour day blog of "togetherness" back in september, these were my words:
"i'm all alone yet still together with a lady who is out there somewhere. we've yet to cross paths in this world, but i know she is real. her and i think alike and are looking for the same things together. i feel her in my heart, and my soul desperately longs to connect with hers. she lives each of her life's moments fully and looks past none of them. she's artistic and free. her spirit dances with the milky way each night. she hopes, she dreams. she loves. she feels the same way about me and breathes my name into her lungs, though she has not met me in this life yet. she longs to be together with me one day...she exists, i just need to look into her eyes anew and know that i've always known her...i hope one day comes soon, that one day when our eyes connect deeply with each other and she asks me: fly away with me, and let's never look back, and i respond to her: of course, if you are a bird, i 'm a bird...and we take off and fly together to a happily ever after of togetherness...i know she's out there somewhere, these words are for her: i know you exist. i know you are walking this planet somewhere looking for me too, and one day we will meet, and we will share countless breathless moments of 'oh my god' together"... i can't wait until i finally find her, and she finds me and says, 'oh it's you!'. and we can transform into the feathers covering each others wings and fly away into our colorful sunset together...that's our life's treasure, better together...and when her and i finally reconnect together only knowing one thing, that something of this certainty comes but once in a lifetime, we will dance and laugh and play together under the stars, and sing this song together without the need for words all night long"
 
sigh...alas, she is still not here, but i never relinquish hope, eternal faith in her. one day she will arrived. i know with deep faith that day will come, i've deep hope in her finally finding me, and she will finally i know with certainty. and as soon as i see her, that first look will be all it took. one look and love will fill my body with such a powerful energy. an energy that brings the long lost smile back to my face, and fills my heart with happiness unimaginable. a peaceful calming rush of pure love, that was eternally there inside me, but needed her to make it flow completely...
 
a feeling such as this cannot be explained or described, it can only be felt. it can only be known. and if you feel it now, and know its energy pulsing through your body, you are one of the lucky ones. and i desperately want to know how that feeling feels...a life full of kisses, and holding hands, and giggles, and smiles, and words without speaking, the first thing every morning and the last thing every night...
 
it's quite beautiful how one word can mean so much, be so full of deep meaning..."eternal" is defined by merriam-webster as: lasting or existing forever; without end or beginning...imagine a love with no beginning or end. imagine a love existing forever. imaging a love without the constraints of time--no hours, days, or years. just a love that's always there, one that has always been there and always will be. a love eternal...
 
i need to continue to imagine such a love exists for me one day. i'll never stop believing in her. i know she exists. for she is here now. and though i cannot see or touch her, she is always here. i carry her in my heart eternally. i long for the day when i can say she's my last first kiss. and each morning she's the first beautiful sight i see, and every night she's the last glowing light before my eyes close. she is my all day, my all night. she is my eternal love...sigh
 
++(((this favourite poem of mine goes to dream lady, who's out there somewhere, directly from my heart to hers)))++
 
i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
                                                     
i fear no fate (for you are my fate,my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart) " ― e. e. cummings
 
this beautiful love song is from the disney animated film entitled tangled released in 2010, listen to the words, and if you feel the same way about someone in your life right now, tears of happiness will come to your eyes...and with these romantic love-filled lyrics, it is the perfect accompaniment to connect music with the meaning of my impression today...and you must watch this video, it is just so breathtakingly beautiful, so perfectly animated and filled with the glowing light of love: "i see the light" by mandy moore ... (just click on any of the words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection)....

"all those days watching from the windows. all those years outside looking in. all that time never even knowing just how blind i've been. now i'm here blinking in the starlight. now i'm here, suddenly i see. standing here it's all so clear, i'm where i'm meant to be. and at last i see the light. and it's like the fog has lifted. and at last i see the light. and it's like the sky is new and it's warm and real and bright. and the world has somehow shifted. all at once everything looks different, now that i see YOU...all those days chasing down a daydream. all those years living in a blur. all that time never truly seeing things, the way they were. now she's here shining in the starlight. now she's here suddenly i know if she's here it's crystal clear. i'm where i'm meant to go. and at last i see the light. and it's like the fog has lifted. and at last i see the light. and it's like the sky is new and it's warm and real and bright. and the world has somehow shifted. all at once everything is different, now that i see you. now that i see you" ― mandy moore, i see the light
 
"i sing the sweetest song
i shout out your name
with or without
you around me
nothing is the same
and you and i are to blame
sweet melody of our soul

i scream for you
i want more
it's you that i adore.
my bird with the brightest feather
our world is floating
it's our belief  
when we're together

we're like a river
we're wild and free
i believe our home is full of magic
our world is like it is meant to be.
let's sing our song
not for a moment
but for sweet eternity" ― bodhinku, eternity
 
"she's my last first kiss. each morning she's the first beautiful sight i see, and every night she's the last glowing light before my eyes close. she is my all day, my all night. she is my eternal love" ― bodhinku, eternal
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MORE BODHINKU QUOTES
"i hope one day comes soon, that one day when our eyes connect deeply with each other and she asks me: fly away with me, and let's never look back, and i respond to her: of course, if you're a bird, i'm a bird...and we take off and fly together to a happily ever after of togetherness" ― bodhinku, togetherness 
 
"adoring of each other fully. full of beautiful love and magical connections. teaming with understanding and devotion. filled to the top in togetherness existing as one" ― bodhinku, togetherness
 
"and when her and i finally reconnect together only knowing one thing, that something of this certainty comes but once in a lifetime, we will dance and laugh and play together under the stars, and sing a song together without the need for words all night long" ― bodhinku, better together
 
"i'm all alone yet still together with a lady who is out there somewhere. we've yet to cross paths in this world, but i know she is real. her and i think alike and are looking for the same things together. i feel her in my heart, and my soul desperately longs to connect with hers" ― bodhinku, better together
 
"these trees look like they are posing for the photo, the three of them just happy to be together. i mean, seriously hanging out with a couple hella good friends, a warm sea breeze, sugary sands, crystal blue water, and sunshine at the beach...togetherness, what more do you really need?" ― bodhinku, together
 
"i know you exist. i know you are out there somewhere looking for me too, and one day we will meet and we will share countless breathless moments of 'oh my god' together" ― bodhinku, togetherness 
 
"she lives each of her life's moments fully and looks past none of them. she's artistic and free. her spirit dances with the milky way each night. she hopes, she dreams. she loves. she feels the same way about me and breathes my name into her lungs, though she has not met me in this life yet. she longs to be together with me one day" ― bodhinku, together 
 
 "i can't wait until i finally find her, and she finds me and says, 'oh it's you!'. and we can transform into the feathers covering each others wings and fly away into our colorful sunset together...that's our life's treasure, better together" ― bodhinku, better together
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MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
this song is one of my favorite tunes for the 1980s and by far my favorite by the bangles ever written song...and with its lyrics, it is the perfect accompaniment to connect music with the meaning of my impression today: "eternal flame" by the bangles ... (just click on any of the words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection)....

"close your eyes, give me your hand, darling. do you feel my heart beating? do you understand? do you feel the same? am i only dreaming? is this burning an eternal flame? i believe it's meant to be, darling. i watch you when you are sleeping, you belong with me. do you feel the same? am i only dreaming, or is this burning (burning) an eternal flame?...say my name, sun shines through the rain. a whole life so lonely, and then you come and ease the pain. i don't want to lose this feeling, oh...say my name, sun shines through the rain. a whole life so lonely, and then you come and ease the pain. i don't want to lose this feeling, oh...close your eyes, give me your hand. do you feel my heart beating? do you understand? do you feel the same? am i only dreaming, or is this burning an eternal flame? close your eyes, give me your hand. do you feel my heart beating? do you understand? do you feel the same? am i only dreaming, or is this burning an eternal flame?...is this burning an eternal flame? close your eyes, give me your hand..." ― bangles, eternal flame
 
"our theories of the eternal are as valuable as are those that a chick which has not broken its way through its shell might form of the outside world" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha
 
"the reason why the universe is eternal is that it does not live for itself; it gives life to others as it transforms" ― lao tzu, tao te ching
 
"i offer you peace. i offer you love. i offer you friendship. i see your beauty. i hear your need. i feel your feelings. my wisdom flows from the highest source. i salute that source in you. let us work eternal, for unity and peace" ― mohandas mahatma gandhi 
  
"great things are not put together randomly or by impulse. but instead by a series of small things brought into eternity" ― vincent van gogh
 
"that’s the thing about great love. it elevates everything around it. you walk through a forest together and it becomes a great temple. you eat a meal together and you sit at god’s banquet table. you merge your bodies and all heaven breaks loose. that’s why we can’t stop singing about love. every verse is a cry for being an eternal happiness as one" ― jeff brown
 
"there is no more precious a privilege than to be loved without reserve or judgement. to look deeply into your partner’s eyes and see that, despite your many faults and flaws, you will always be eternal, because you are cherished precisely as you are. once you have known a love like that in your life, it stays with you eternally" ― beau taplin, remedy
 
"by night, love, tie your heart to mine, and the two eternal in their sleep will defeat the darkness" ― pablo neruda
 
"at night i dream that you and i are two trees that grew together, roots entwined, and that you know the earth and the rain like my mouth, since we are made of earth and rain" ― pablo neruda, 100 love sonnets
 
"i want you to have everything you deserve. we’ll still be eternal because you have my heart, my body, and my soul" ― paulo coelho, the alchemist
 
"the enlightened is one who has dropped all dreams, who has thrown away this mirror of the mind and who looks directly into life, without any medium interfering. then he sees the eternal progression, then in a single moment he sees all eternity, and in a single atom he can see the whole reflected" ― osho, the hidden splendor
 
"if conversation was the lyrics, laughter was the music, making time spent together a melody that could be replayed over and over eternal without getting stale" ― nicholas sparks, the best of me
 
"i love you. i am who i am because of you. you are every reason, every hope, and every dream i've ever had, and no matter what happens to us in the future, everyday we are together is the greatest day of my life. i will always be yours eternal" ― nicholas sparks, the notebook
 
"you must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. there is no other land; there is no other life but this" ― henry david thoreau, walden  
 
"i have known you
since the beginning
of time
the one
i have loved always
in spirit.
only just discovered
 
"peace and love are eternal" ― john lennon
 
"you hide me in your cloak of nothingness. reflect my ghost in your glass of being. i am nothing, yet appear: a transparent dream where your eternity briefly trembles and i sigh" ― jalaluddin rumi, bridge to the soul  
 
"a moment of happiness, you and i laying together on the grass of eden, apparently two, but one in soul, you and i. we feel the flowing water of life here, you and i, with the garden's beauty and the birds singing. the stars will be watching us, and we will show them what it is to be a thin crescent moon. you and i unselfed, will be eternal, as we laugh together, you and i. in one form upon this earth, and in another form in a timeless sweet land"― jalaluddin rumi, hush don't say anything to god 
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ABOUT THE IMPRESSION
"eternal is defined as: lasting or existing forever, without end or beginning...imagine a love with no beginning or end. imagine a love existing forever. imaging a love without the constraints of time--no hours, days, or years. just a love that's always there, one that has always been there and always will be. a love eternal" ― bodhinku, eternal
      
captured about 11 mins after sunrise on a calm windless beach in Saint Petersburg, Florida on august 3, 2021...this composition is comprised entirely of one long exposure (f/11 @24mm for 111secs, iso-64)...and this single frame was not merged with any other exposures like i often do with my photography to achieve the perfect lighting of the entire scene...  
 
in my photography, i always use filters to create longer exposure effects, saturate colors naturally, and balance the light in my composition in-camera...i often use as many as four filters at time, and i always use at least one filter in my completed impressions...
 
for this exposure, to get the effects and balance i was looking for, i used two progreyusa filters in the capture of this composition, a 3.0 nd progrey antarctica filter to bring the light in the image down 10 stops to create this dreamy effect with motion blur of the water and clouds and naturally saturate the primary rgb's (reds, greens and blues) in the image  and a 0.9 gnd progrey aurora filter to help balance in-camera overall the image the way i envisioned it... in this case, to stop down the light in the sky and clouds at the top of the image an extra three stops and help permit details in the shadows of the palm trees come out better...
 
i also used the progrey g-120z magnetic holder to hold the filters and secure them to my nikon d850 with a nikon nikkor 24mm f/1.4 prime lens/... 
 
and with this being a pretty long exposure of 111 seconds, a stable and sturdy tripod is an absolute necessity in order to keep the image sharp...i wish to openly thank my sponsors who have always supported me through both the good and bad times...for truly this long exposure impression would not be possible without the use of my induro phq3 series 5-way panhead with induro carbon fiber stealth tripod in combination with the progreyusa filters which i use with every photo i take...
 
"if nothing else...if i open my eyes, if i cry, if i think, if i sigh, if i giggle, if i dance, if i love, if i breathe, then i have lived a full days worth of life...nothing is wasted, nothing" ― bodhinku, if nothing else
 
"i do not want you to just be into my photography, instead, i'd much rather you take a journey into my pictures, and feel the impression i have created, feel it with all your senses" ― bodhinku, into 
 
"contemplate without thinking. be certain only in your uncertainty. stop the world. slow down everything. let it all be. shut off the noise. relax. seize this moment. reconnect. feel and sense what surrounds you. listen to all the colors of light whisper as they envelope you. see the melody and harmony that float about unnoticed. taste the solitude of all this wonderment. smell the beautiful silence. now discover your peaceful serenity. then, reach out and touch your faith with all your senses. this is my world. awaken!" ― bodhinku, my world
 
"my photography is my way of keeping a diary" ― bodhinku, my diary   
 
i leave you today wishing that bright joy 
and spiritual peace fill your life...
imploring you to make every moment count, 
no matter what, always and forever, 
for that is the only thing that truly matters... 
 
and above all else,
i hope this message and impression find you well.
 
namaste,
bodhi
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