"Eyes" by Bodhi Smith

Feb 17, 2023

"eyes" is my brand new impression...just outside the village of hanga roa on the extremely remote island of rapanui (a.k.a. easter island) in the middle of the south pacific ocean, sits a sacred moai (statue) under the stars, complete with it's traditional pukao (hat), and black obsidian with glowing white coral "eyes"...created to resemble and honor a fallen chief, a moai was placed in a specific location with it's back to the sea to watch over and bring good fortune to all the natives of rapanui...
 
"rapa nui leaves me breathless. it's not just this moai, or its watchful and glowing eyes...it's the combined energy coming out of the ground mixed with the spirits flowering down from the sparkling heavens, all meeting me right where i stand..." ― bodhi, eyes
 
"in the starry heavens i see your eyes, and in your eyes i see my starry heavens" ― bodhi, eyes
 
"love at
 first sight, 
i knew
her magic
soon as 
my eyes 
laid upon 
her eyes
that first look,
all it took. 
i'm forever 
all in
her eyes" 
 
"look at your eyes. they are small, yet they behold the world" ― jalaluddin rumi, bridge to the soul
 
"look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars…and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. everything is simply happy to just be" ― osho
 
"eyes, you can't let 'em know. eyes, never wanna let 'em know. eyes, you can't let 'em know. eyes, never wanna let 'em know. eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes" ― the arcs, eyes.
 
"without a noise, without my pride, i reach out from the inside...in your eyes, the light, the heat. in your eyes, i am complete. in your eyes, i see the doorway to a thousand churches. in your eyes, the resolution of all the fruitless searches. in your eyes" ― peter gabriel, in your eyes.
 
"images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes, they call me on and on across the universe" ― john lennon, across the universe.   
 
"you can feel the bright stars and the infinity of the sky...since life, in spite of everything, is like a fairy tale" ― vincent van gogh 
 
"oh please just let me sit here under the stars, on the threshold of two worlds. lost and found by illuminations of the night" ― jalaluddin rumi, the soul of rumi
 
"guardians of the night, 
the moai are forever and always 
singing a silent lullaby with 
a distinct but hidden rhythm, 
one i can both hear and 
see in my mind's eye...
an enchanting pulse much 
the same as a symbiotic heartbeat, 
drawing me in closer like a lover. 
falling in line with the melody, 
i only have to sigh and 
i'm rejoined in rejoicing. 
it's metaphysical music to my ears, and 
nourishment for my soul, and 
a cadence i want to hear more and 
more often in my life these days, 
forever and always such 
a beautiful tune embedded into 
the eye of my beating heart" 

"there's so much light that we cannot see, so open your eyes and see what you can with them, now, before they close forever" ― bodhi, eyes
 
this first song is the newest release (january 2023) by the alternative garage rock band, the arcs (a side project for dan auerbach, the lead singer of the band, the black keys), it has a sound that its a mixture of newwave and techno, a really modern vibe exudes from this music with its airy and wavy sound...the tune serves as a profound examination of what we share with the world with our eyes, and conversely, what we keep hidden in plain sight behind our eyes. the lyrics mull the many roadblocks in the way of honest communication, even especially in our closest relationships. many of these sentiments are pulled from the group's first-hand experience losing their own musical brother gone too soon (drummer richard swift died in 2018). “there’s a lot of mystery to most people," explains auerbach. "you can work with someone for years and there will be things about them that you never know. everyone has parts of their story they might not want written"...and coupled with the fact this song is entitled exactly the same as the name of my impression here, it's the perfect first accompaniment to connect music with some of the deeper meaning of my impression and blog today: "eyes" by the arcs. ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...

"eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, doo-dun-doo-doo-doo...years ago, once again for christmas you got all you ever wanted, everything forever, all except the loving. in the know, you just can't refuse it. you can't keep your love forever. cheatin' all your neighbors, cryin' hallelujah...eyes, you can't let 'em know. eyes, never wanna let 'em know...just like we do, candy coated nonsense. we can talk about the weather, cry about whatever. but do it all together, everything, everything for granted. it's like only you can love her, taken by your mother, who sold it to your father...eyes, you can't let 'em know. eyes, never wanna let 'em know. eyes, you can't let 'em know. eyes, never wanna let 'em know. eyes, eyes...it's been this way, been this way forever. well, at least until tomorrow when i come to see you cryin' hallelujah...eyes, you can't let 'em know. eyes, never wanna let 'em know. eyes, you can't let 'em know. eyes, never wanna let 'em know. eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes" ― the arcs, eyes.
 
"i'm still in deep awe of rapa nui and its alluring moai, like this statue, scattered across the island. the mere thought of the island in my mind's eye sends electric desire throughout my body. i'm so excited by this place like no other, so awfully enchanted. i'm missing everything about rapa nui, always wanting to come, and never wanting to leave" ― bodhi, eyes
----------------------
 
MEANING
"with its beautiful eyes always and forever open, this sacred moai watches over the island, guarding its children and bringing good fortune to all the villagers of hanga roa" ― bodhi, eyes
 
i've always loved eyes...
 
eyes are literally windows into the soul, portals into the exact essence of who we are, if you look closely enough...coming in so many different colours, each hue is absolutely fascinating in its own way: brown, blue, green, hazel, and heterochromic...
 
eyes are an aphrodisiac: so sexy, memorizing, hypnotizing, mysterious, transfixing, enchanting, and just plain beautiful in their sheer perfection of form...to me, letting a lover look deeply into our eyes is the most personal and sensual thing we can show anyone, even more so than letting them see our naked body. this is exactly why i keep my own eyes as private as possible...
 
i believe eyes say so much without speaking a word. when our body language, lips, and mouth can all be so untruthful, our eyes do not lie...eyes will always be my favorite part of any animal anatomy, especially the human body...and this is reason behind why i've focused on the eyes so specifically as the center of attention and name for this portrait of a moai statue from rapa nui (easter island)...
 
"eyes" is defined by merriam-webster as:
1. the image forming organs of sight that are light sensitive and responsible for vision
2. any openings that resemble the shape of an eye
3. to see, look, glance, or focus upon
4. attention; notice; scrutiny

eyes also have a symbolic meaning, representing psychic clairvoyance, enlightenment, omniscience, unlimited vision, point of view, and a gateway into the soul. other qualities that eyes are commonly associated with are: intelligence, light, vigilance, moral conscience, and truth...
 
the meaning behind the title of the image, "eyes" is clearly simple: with its glowing eyes that never close, this moai (statue) stands lookout, watching over the entire island every day and all night long with its undivided attention...this moai along with all the moai on rapa nui are enchanting in their silence, connecting the ground with their resolve to the heavens with their majesty...breathless and captivating, they are the spiritual guardians of the island and all its inhabitants...
 
the rapa nui people believe that their chiefs are descended from the gods, and that after death they would once again become divine. a sacred moai (statue) is carved directly out of volcanic rock from the rano raraku quarry and then adorned with only natural materials found on the island. it's then crafted to resemble and honour a chieftain who has recently passed, created to forever contain the spirit of this fallen chief. all the natives of rapa nui believe the spirit of this person will eternally watch over the tribe and bring good fortune to the island. to the rapa nui people, the moai are believed to be the actual repositories of sacred spirits, and the embodiment of their ancient ancestors.
 
when i was a kid, i saw a painting of easter island one day during a social studies lesson in school. i asked my teacher if it was real, and she told me "yes"...she showed me a book on easter island. instantly i was hooked, i was bewitched by its mystery and attracted to its exotic beauty. the island and its unique statues looking like big heads were like nothing else i'd ever seen before, and there's nothing like them anywhere on this planet...one look was all it took and i was spellbound forever.
 
rapa nui's remoteness makes it a destination to where not many people have ever travelled. it's a tiny little island all alone in the waters of the south pacific, nothing close by at all, surrounded by only the ocean, with the neared land over 3200km (2000 miles) away. it's the most remote and isolated place in the world...i made up my mind on that day as a child that i would visit the island and see its mystique in person one day when i had the means...
 
"if what i see with my own eyes before me is you, then what i see will always be enough for me" ― bodhi, eyes
 
i'm still mystified and in awe of rapa nui and its alluring moai, like this statue, scattered across the island. the mere thought of the island in my mind's eye sends electric desire throughout my body. i'm so excited by this place like no other, so awfully enchanted. i'm missing everything about rapa nui, always wanting to come, and never wanting to leave. there's truly nowhere else in the world that does this to me, including my home here in san diego, california. the only thing that come close to this electric desire is my thoughts of her eyes, my dream lady whom i have yet to meet...
 
"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 moon and stars 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 seen me with her own eyes in this life yet, she longs to meet and be together with me one day" ― bodhi, eyes 
 
rapa nui is my favourite place to go on this earth, i have such a strong affinity for it. the remoteness, the moai (statues), the slow-pace of life, the po'e and empanadas, the southern hemisphere milky-way, the southern cross and stars in the dark night sky, the waves crashing into the volcanic beaches, the sensual and glowing moon as it rises over the island...
 
"in sweet silence of the star light, i feel her radiance glowing bright above, i play in her magical wilderness as i witness the angelic innocence in her eyes...i know my focus is always up to her" ― bodhi, eyes
 
there's just something about it that draws me in, draws me back to it time and time again, i truly love it there...and the moai, they just remain mysterious and obscure in the light of the rest of the rapidly changing world. time has sort of left rapa nui behind, another fact that makes this island so appealing to me.
 
rapa nui seriously changed me forever...after my first look, it was amor a primera vista (love at first sight), i swallowed the hook, that was all it took, i've never looked back since. wishing i could visit more often, but unable to do so these past 2-1/2 years because of the impacts on international travel due to the world's fear of the covid19 virus... 
 
as humans, we always seem to want more once we get something. this is not always a bad thing, for it lets us chase new highs...but sometimes you just need to be content with the moments you get. for i have those moments special to hold onto until the next time i get to see the island...this makes the island even more special to me, more romantic because i cannot visit all the time. an old wise adage states, "absence makes the heart grow fonder" and i long for my next visit, and i dream of returning, as i'm missing this island with my every fiber...
 
"this is a not a permanent feeling, just a temporary situation. when i'm away, i dearly long to embrace her, feel alive with all my being, and finally awaken from my dreams on my return. i can't wait to see her with my own eyes again, one more time. so i remain vigilant and patient and hopeful, as i know we will meet again really soon and the island will fill up all my senses anew, once more with her essence" ― bodhi, eyes
 
a mystique that i just cannot stay away from no matter how hard i try, and i find again and again, that  i'm compelled to travel to this tiny and remote south pacific island, returning over and over and over, so strangely beautiful, so exotic, captivating, fascinating, and magical for my soul, forever smitten and spellbound...ella esta mi isla de suenos... 
 
you see, if you are patient for the right moment, your dreams can come true if you seek them out and chase after them. i did, and i'm the happiest man in the world for doing so. this island saved me in every way and has since altered the path i walk in life. i owe her everything. i love rapa nui with all my heart, and soon we will be together much more often, that you can count on...
 
"i knew her instantly, as soon as our eyes met. that first look is all it took. i'm lost in her beauty, enchanted by her magic, i'm all hers forever and ever" ― bodhi, eyes
 
and this is a perfect song to hear, it's all about the chemical reaction of being left breathless and enchanted after just one look with your own eyes...written and performed by one of my favourite artists of all time, jimmy buffett, with his unique and laid-back island style of music. i love the way this song blends spanish lyrics into the meaning (amor a primera vista, meaning love at first sight), and this tune is another favourite of mine from over 35 years ago in 1986, read the lyrics, give it a good listen and you'll be able to connect with the deeper meaning of my impression today from remote easter island in the middle of the south pacific ocean... "first look" by jimmy buffett. ... (just click on any of words in the powder blue links to listen to the song)...
 
"fun tickets in my pocket, visions in my brain. grandfather always told me if i went down, i might never come back again. i studied the language tapes, and i read all the books. still nothing prepared me for my very first look...it was my first look, baby that's all it took was my first look around...i think i want to go flying, but i don't want to leave the ground. so i'll just cruise on my landing gear and taxi round rio town. up to the mountain, down to the sea. take me to live long where the samba queen waits for me...it was my first look. that's when i swallowed the hook on my first look around...amor a primera vista, o se no quier que o insista. amor a primera vista, reaccion quimica...amor a primera vista, o se no quier que o insista. amor a primera vista, reaccion quimica...six days later i was felling like a missing link (ook-ook-ook-ook) when my friends told me, hey jimmy, it must have been the voodoo drink. now it's time for siesta and a belly full of rice and beans. and figure if i'm brave enough to repeat the whole crazy scene...on my first look. that's when i swallowed the hook on my first look around...amor a primera vista, o se no quier que o insista. amor a primera vista, reaccion quimica...amor a primera vista, o se no quier que o insista. amor a primera vista, reaccion quimica" ― jimmy buffett, first look.
 
"i opened my eyes and instantly i was hooked, i was bewitched by her mystery and attracted to her exotic beauty. this enchanted island and its unique statues looking like big heads, she's like nothing else on this planet...one look with my own eyes was all it took" ― bodhi, eyes
----------------------
 
STORY BEHIND THE IMAGE
"with glowing eyes that never close, this moai stands lookout, watching over the entire island every day and all night long, giving his undivided attention to rapa nui" ― bodhi, eyes

since my very first visit to rapa nui over eight years ago, i have found my dreamland place in reality and i have frequently revisited it in my subconscious ever since, almost nightly, to this isolated and remote island in the southern pacific ocean. it's here where there are the moai (spiritual statues) who are forever looking inward with their backs to the sea, protecting the island from spiritual invaders.
 
guardians of the night, the moai are forever and always singing a silent lullaby with a distinct but hidden rhythm, one i can both hear and see in my mind's eye...an enchanting pulse much the same a symbiotic heartbeat, drawing me in closer like a lover. falling in line with the melody, i only have to sigh and i'm rejoined in rejoicing. it's metaphysical music to my ears, and nourishment for my soul, and a cadence i want to hear more and more often in my life these days, forever and always such a beautiful tune embedded into the eye of my beating heart...
 
"i will be watching over you. i am gonna help you see it through. i will protect you in the night. i am smiling next to you, in silent lucidity...." ― christopher degarmo, lead guitarist queensryche.

after being lucky enough to have visited this island now on three different occasions, i've brought it home in my memories. these visions of mystics now seemingly watch over me, sing their silent songs of wisdom to me, help to see me through my dreams, guide me through the doorways in my mind, and my reality with their rhythm into my heartbeat...my lucidity of life and dreams...can you hear them singing in the deep night? can you? can you see the echo deep in your mind?
 
"i'm constantly missing you, my island, my energy...missing you in every moment, in every breath i breathe, i need you to recharge me, fill me back up with happiness...i'm just so depleted when i breathe in this stale air around me. and then when i exhale, the overwhelming feeling of missing you, being incomplete only fills back up the space in my lungs where the air once was..." ― bodhi, eyes

and truly that which is missing from rapa nui (easter island) that makes it so appealing, so beautiful to me...seems the island is missing allot, while not missing anything truly important at all...

there are no neon signs, no billboards of advertisements, no city lights, no freeways or overpasses, or speeding cars (maximum speed limit on island is 60 km/hr), no commutes or road rage...no buildings taller than 10 meters high, no corporate parks or warehouses, no mcdonalds or fast food chains, no starbucks or walmart or department stores or giant supermarkets with huge parking lots, no cell phone towers and satellite dishes, no drones flying around...

so much is missing, and that's so damn good...there's no western corporatocracy, no traffic lights or smog, no drive-thrus or 7-11 convenience stores, no beggars, nor homeless people on the streets or trash and litter anywhere, no graffiti spray-painted about...no condos and apartment complexes or housing developments, no big luxury resorts or even any hotel chains, no outlet stores and auto malls...no amusement park, zip-lines, wax museums or red-light district, no crazy noise and street corners filled with protestors...always so very few people scattered out on this tiny island that is only 23km across...

and that's exactly yet another reason why this is my favourite island, the simple fact that rapa nui (easter island) does not have those kind of amenities, those distractions, those noises. it's missing absolutely nothing of what its missing...

so easter island still keeps away many people who would not appreciate it for being such an unspoiled place on this planet. all those distracted souls who want a big brand name resort where everyone speaks english on a white sandy beach with the choice of a hundred palm trees to sit under and drink a frozen margarita while eating juicy fresh tropical fruit and shrimp cocktail....
 
easter island is tropical, but there are few palm trees, even fewer sandy beaches as it's mostly volcanic rock, there are no fruits harvested there, and no ice or blenders to make a frozen concoction on the island or chill a shrimp cocktail...this is not a resort island where a beautiful location is combined with modern luxuries of comfort and convenience, it's none of that...rapa nui has none of that luscious touristy lure. its wild, undeveloped, a true breath of fresh air, sweet silence, and peace...
 
the whole island is considered a national park by its parent country of chile, so it is protected by legislation to keep out development and exploiting commerce...i just hope it stays that way...but no matter what the future holds, rapa nui, a.k.a. easter island, a.k.a. isla de pascua, is simply an unspoiled dream, so silently beautiful to me. i'm forever spellbound by its mystique...
 
my first visit in the summer (remember the southern hemisphere seasons are opposite of those enjoyed in the northern hemisphere), december of 2015 was special, and i left the island in awe, not wanting to leave...so i returned, twice more, once in the fall (april) of 2018 and again in winter (june-july) of 2019...and each time i arrive, i always have to leave, and i leave, but i leave wanting more, i'm not done yet, not even close...
 
i want to go back again because i know i still have things i want to do, and unfinished moments there to spend, to live, to just be...i'm not even close to being done with rapa nui, isla de pascua (a.k.a. easter island) in my life, i feel like this is all just the beginning for me, my relationship with rapa nui is only just starting to develop like a grand and epic love story...for greater adventures and so many more beautiful moments still lie ahead of me the rest of my life, together this island and me...

however, i've noticed regrettably now-a-days, that most people create a "bucket list" of places to go, and it also seems more and more people are adding rapa nui, isla de pascua (a.k.a. easter island) to their list...but personally i hate the term, because it means you are going to visit somewhere you have always wanted to go before you die or "kick the bucket," then check it off your list as a "been there, done that" item, and move on to the next item on the list, and then never go back again...
 
but to me, this is crazy, for after that initial magical romantic "first kiss" visit to a place, it's all the revisiting moments that are my best times, and much more meaningful and magical moments always happen during the times when i revisit places i've already been... especially as a photographer when my best impressions happen after i go to a location numerous times...i can relate more of myself to the place with more visits, plus i don't have pressure that i "must capture that image now" for fear i'll never get another chance...going back over and over just makes a place more familiar, more personal, more beautiful as you discover more each time about yourself and the place, discoveries which you did not notice the first time...

so in 2019 when i captured this impression, i made the trip to easter island (rapa nui) for my third time in a span of four years and would have been there again these past summers of 2021 or 2022 for my fourth trip, if not for all the havok of a post-covid19 world that has had the island closed off to most of the world for over two and one half years. but i will be going back soon, with rapa nui reopening back up to travellers as of this past 5th august, 2022, i'll once again set foot on the island...

but people still wonder: why in the world would anyone travel to one of the most remote places on our planet, spend a nice sum of money to get there once again, when they've already "been there, and done that" 3 times before already? simply put, and as i alluded to above, the place is dreamy to me, perfectly undeveloped and raw. i'm smitten. i'm enchanted...and i'll be going back again very soon...ella esta mi isla de suenos...  
 
btw, here is another perfect tune to listen to as you read on in my this new blog, this is such a powerful song in message and meaning, about reflecting on the things your eyes have seen (and not seen ) and regrets in this life, it has such beautiful lyrics and vocals... "doctor my eyes" by jackson browne. ...(just click on the song title, any of the words in powder blue, it's a link to the lyric video)...

"doctor, my eyes have seen the years and the slow parade of fears without crying. now i want to understand, i have done all that i could to see the evil and the good without hiding. you must help me if you can, doctor, my eyes, tell me what is wrong. was i unwise to leave them open for so long? because i have wandered through this world and as each moment has unfurled, i've been waiting to awaken from these dreams. people go just where they will. i never noticed them until i got this feeling, that it's later than it seems...doctor, my eyes, tell me what you see. i hear their cries, just say if it's too late for me. doctor, my eyes, they cannot see the sky. is this the prize for having learned how not to cry?" ― jackson browne, doctor my eyes.
 
"it can be so soothing and peaceful to meditate and reflect upon the magical universe that surrounds us, especially while sitting under the silent wisdom glowing down from all the celestial orbs in the starry night sky, as you wait for the sun to rise and shine...but be true to the universe that's inside you. and be true to the sunshine within...only you know you. and you know what you truly need, so be true to yourself and do everything you can to truly get it" ― bodhi, eyes
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RANT ABOUT NEEDING SILENCE
"silence is hearing everything devoid of noise, really listening to purity and what was meant to be heard" ― bodhi, silence
 
rapa nui, isla de pascua (a.k.a. easter island) is one of those places that is so peaceful, yet mysterious and exotic, so magically beautiful...all the noise of the commercial western capitalist world disappears into the unspoiled silence of tranquility and spellbound awe...
 
there is a lesson and a truth to be learned from the silence of these statues under the moon and stars on easter island...because, our would today does not seem to know how to embrace silence...
 
people can't fathom the beauty and necessity of silence anymore. they think they have to be talking all the time, texting all the time, posting pictures of themselves, pictures of what they ate, what they did, what they saw, who they are with, who they lost, what they want, what they are thinking, what they are feeling, what they have accomplished, where they have been, where they are, where they are going...they cannot understand why no one can understands them because they cannot listen to the silence they need to hear.
 
it seems people are scared of silence, or see silence as what happens when they are cut off and no longer connected to the world through their cell phones and social media. now silence means isolation, and isolation means loneliness, and that is not right. 
 
what happened to a quiet hike in nature, or a pleasant walk on the beach? what happened to being with your significant other, or friends, or family and enjoying time with them? what happened to sharing beautiful moments without using your cellphone to respond to someone who is not even present with you? what happened to enjoying a beautiful sunset without having to take a picture of it and miss out on the real moments? all just so you can create a picture to share with the world, and flatten down a moment you will not remember as clearly had you just lived it instead of trying to record it...
 
these smartphones are making us dumb socially, ruining the chances for making real connections. you disconnect from your loved ones as soon as you connect to the internet on your cellphone...you check out of the real world of interactions and living moments with them...you instead check into the noise of misunderstanding, misinterpreting, and miscommunication with someone who is missing and not even physically present, instead of staying present in the moment and being with those present around you 110%...being present in the present is a present...
 
behaviors are not only breaking down socially, but are crossing over the line into being rude and inconsiderate of others, and this should not be socially acceptable...i'm personally tired of having to listen to the conversation of another person telling about their life while i'm on a public bus, or plane, or in a park, or in a store, or while pumping gas...or seeing a family of four eating dinner in a restaurant and all of them are on their phone doing something else while waiting for their food to be delivered...or watch a person in the checkout line of the grocery store totally ignore the clerk the entire time, without even acknowledging their existence with a look or polite greeting, all because they are in the middle of a youtube video or engrossed in messaging someone...or have my view of a beautiful sunset disrupted by people with cellphones on selfie sticks trying to capture "look-at-me" narcissistic images to put on their instagram pages as they chatter incessantly about being somewhere they always wanted to be and want to show the world their victory... 
 
last year on february 8th 2022, i was lucky to experience and witness the "beyond van gogh" exhibit in san diego...but like they do everywhere else, too many people were walking around taking pictures and shooting video, and chattering incessantly about meaningless stuff that had nothing to do with vincent...they could have enjoyed much deeper this beautiful show of art, done in such a modern visual three dimensional creation. and they could have made the whole art show better for all the others who wanted to tell them to shut their mouths (stfu!) and turn off their bright phone screens, and just witness the magical creation before their eyes...but that would be rude to tell them that, heaven help if we offend those entitled people, even though their thoughtless and clueless actions are much more rude and take away from the experience of all the kind good mannered people...
 
enjoying silence is a practice people need to embrace...quiet your inner thoughts and chatter within your mind, and outwardly you will reflect a calmer being. in silence you will become a better listener. you will see, feel, and experience more deeply each moment you live...and when another people understand to share in silence with you, you can often hear them more clearly than you could with a conversation full of words, and enjoy your time more richly with them.
 
each of us needs to calm our busy mind and find our own sacred silence. because all these smartphones we carry in our pockets and in our hands are truly just breaking down our connections to each other, and further separating us from living in a natural world...being connected through an internet, with email, and social media, and texting, and twittering is only dumbing down society with extra useless busy noise. it's only the illusion of being connected, because this connection is not reality, and it's barely a virtual reality which regrettably people are seeing as their here-and-now world...people need to disconnect and silence their cell phones, unplug and let go...
 
since there are as many stars in the night sky as there are people on the planet, what if we could unite as human beings and just be like a deep still pond silently reflecting the stars of the night sky...be a reflection of the cosmos' silence and connections. be calm, not busy. be still and silent. keep our reflection and connection pure and clear...because, like ripples across the surface, cell phones are making noisy waves that are only muddling our reflection, making things all fuzzy and uncertain, breaking apart the peaceful silence we desperately need today...
 
you see...without silence, there is no listening. without listening, there is no understanding. without  understanding, there is no connection. without connection there is no meaning. without meaning there is no direction. without direction there is only floundering about and no stillness. without stillness, there is no clear reflection. without a clear reflection, there is no clarity. without clarity, there is no reason. without reason there is only chaos. with chaos, there is just useless noise. with useless noise, there can be no silence, and without silence there is no listening, no understanding. no conscious connection...
 
“we need to find peace, and it cannot be found in noise and restlessness. peace is the friend of silence. see how nature--trees, flowers, grass--grow in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... we need silence to be able to touch souls” ― mother teresa
 
"in this world, we are surrounded by fast-paced, empty static energy. they're like the empty calories of the soul. you have empty calories for your body, like a bag of potato chips for example, then you have empty calories for your soul, which are found in the static energy that doesn't really add to our emotional, spiritual, mental experience of living our lives. we have magical moments of connection with people, with nature, with spirit, but then we rush out of those moments all too fast, in order to go straight back into the busy lanes that are full of things not worthwhile! empty energies! so when we do that, we forget our magical, nourishing soul moments all too fast and we start caring about things that we shouldn't care about too much, stepping outside of the moments of silence that we encounter, and going back into the empty noise. so i think that we need to picture ourselves as rocks in the river; we can let all of that rush by us, while we stay fortified where we are, lingering in the warmness of the noontime sun, the chill of the dawn, the reflections of the stars—like a rock in a river—let it all just rush by. be silent" ― c. joybell c.
 
and if you have been reading my blogs before, you are aware that in a very large part, this image composition as well as my others from rapa nui (easter island) have been influenced by  favorite song of mine from the late 1980's, silent lucidity. by the progressive metal band, queensryche. ... i implore you to please also give this meaningful and inspirational tune a good listen...
 
i've always loved the subconsciously surreal quality of this song about lucid dreams, but i also love the vision about a silent guardian watching over each of us in our dreams, just like the moai statues do for the rapanuians on easter island...after 33 years of loving this song, for me i know who that guardian is now, she is with me each night, with me only in my dreams currently, until that day when our eyes finally meet and she steps out of my dreams and into my life...and i hope you enjoy and think about the following accompanying quotes i've included here to compliment this impression..."wide awake we face the day. the dream is over...or has it just begun?".
 
"hush now, don't you cry. wipe away the teardrop from your eye. you're lying safe in bed. it was all a bad dream spinning in your head. your mind tricked you to feel the pain of someone close to you leaving the game of life. so here it is, another chance. wide awake you face the day. your dream is over...or has it just begun? there's a place i like to hide, a doorway that i run through in the night. relax child, you were there, but only didn't realize and you were scared. it's a place where you will learn to face your fears, retrace the years, and ride the whims of your mind. commanding in another world, suddenly, you hear and see this magic new dimension...i will be watching over you. i am gonna help you see it through. i will protect you in the night. i am smiling next to you, in silent lucidity..."visualize your dream. record it in the present tense. put it into a permanent form. if you persist in your efforts, you can achieve dream control (dream control) how's that then, better? h-e-l-p me"...if you open your mind for me, you won't rely on open eyes to see. the walls you built within come tumbling down, and a new world will begin. living twice at once you learn. you're safe from the pain in the dream domain, a soul set free to fly. a round trip journey in your head. master of illusion, can you realize your dream's alive, you can be the guide but...i will be watching over you. i am gonna help you see it through. i will protect you in the night. i am smiling next to you..." ― christopher degarmo, lead guitarist queensryche.
 
and...
 
btw, here is another perfect tune to listen to as you read my new blog, this is such a powerful song in message and meaning, with beautiful lyrics, "sound of silence" by disturbed. (just click on the song title, it is a link to the lyric video)...please note above above, that i've chosen an updated, much more modern version, a more passionate cover of the famous song, but you only need to click here: if you would rather listen to the original "sound of silence" classic. by simon and garfunkel. ...
 
“hello darkness, my old friend. i've come to talk with you again. because a vision softly creeping, left its seeds while i was sleeping. and the vision that was planted in my brain, still remains within the sound of silence...in restless dreams i walked alone. narrow streets of cobblestone beneath the halo of a street lamp, i turned my collar to the cold and damp. when my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light that split the night and touched the sound of silence...and in the naked light i saw ten thousand people, maybe more. people talking without speaking, people hearing without listening, people writing songs that voices never share, and no one dare disturb the sound of silence..."fools" said i, "you do not know, silence like a cancer grows. hear my words that i might teach you. take my arms that i might reach you"...but my words like silent raindrops fell and echoed in the wells of silence. and the people bowed and prayed to the neon god they made. and the sign flashed out its warning in the words that it was forming, and the sign said, the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls and whispered in the sounds of silence" ― disturbed, sound of silence (lyrics by paul simon). 
 
"there needs to be a silence, a time for breathing the same air, to permit a period of reflection in order to truly connect with other souls. we need to carry our connections in our hearts, not in our hands...silence needs to be the connection, not the disconnection..." ― bodhi, connecting through silence
 
"i know the beauty of silence...it is meant to get me out of my damn head, squash my overthinking, and remind me to refocus instead on the beauty all around me, surrounding me with its silence" ― bodhi, beauty of silence
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MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
this song, originally released close to 37 years ago in 1986, has a special place deep in my heart and my mind's eye. this tune was also used prominently in a now famous classic scene from the teen romance movie "say anything" (1989) when the lead character, lloyd (played by john cusack) serenades his girl, diane (played by ione skye) by holding a boom box high above his head with it loudly playing movie clip from "say anything": "in your eyes" by peter gabriel....and with the fact this song is so closely entitled to the name of my impression here, it's the perfect first accompaniment to connect music with some of the deeper meaning of my impression and blog today: "in your eyes" by peter gabriel. ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...
 
"love, i get so lost sometimes. days pass and this emptiness fills my heart. when i want to run away, i drive off in my car. but whichever way i go, i come back to the place you are. all my instincts, they return. and the grand facade, so soon will burn. without a noise, without my pride, i reach out from the inside...in your eyes, the light, the heat. in your eyes, i am complete. in your eyes, i see the doorway to a thousand churches. in your eyes, the resolution of all the fruitless searches. in your eyes, i see the light and the heat. in your eyes. oh, i want to be that complete. i want to touch the light, the heat i see in your eyes..love, i don't like to see so much pain. so much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away. i get so tired of working so hard for our survival. i look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive. and all my instincts, they return. and the grand facade, so soon will burn. without a noise, without my pride, i reach out from the inside...in your eyes, the light, the heat. in your eyes, i am complete. in your eyes, i see the doorway to a thousand churches. in your eyes, the resolution of all the fruitless searches. in your eyes, i see the light and the heat. in your eyes. oh, i want to be that complete. i want to touch the light, the heat i see in your eyes, in your eyes, in your eyes, in your eyes..." ― peter gabriel, in your eyes.
 
"no matter how far out my tide goes, i always return to kiss the sands of your shore. my heartbeat calls to you, echoing your name across the pages of time and space. i can feel you moving through my soul...such a spell of love you weave upon this heart of mine as i swim eternally deeper into those sacred seas of your beautiful eyes" ― c. ara campbell
 
"i’m not looking for somebody who will whisper sweet nothings into my ear to feed the ravenous ego of my heart. but someone who can look me straight in the eyes and say: i love you, whether you fail or fall, just as you are" ― beau taplin, here at dawn
 
"then love knew it was called love.
and when i lifted my eyes to your name,
suddenly your heart showed me my way" 
 
"i discern the highest conception of emancipation as golden brocade in a dream, and view the holy path of the illuminated one as flowers appearing in one's eyes" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha
 
"it's the inner eye that really sees the world" ― lao tzu, tao te ching 
 
"the one who teaches is the giver of eyes" ― confucius
 
"be the living expression of god's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile" ― mother theresa
 
"man cannot change or escape his time. the eyes see the present and the future" ― salvador dali 
 
"i prefer painting people’s eyes to cathedrals, for there is something in the eyes that is not in the cathedral, however solemn and imposing the latter may be—a human soul, be it that of a poor beggar or of a street walker, is more interesting to me" ― vincent van gogh 
 
"your eyes show the strength of your soul" ― paulo coelho, the alchemist
 
"you could tell your soul mate by the light in their eyes, and since the time began, that has been how people have recognized their true love" ― paulo coelho, brida
 
"just look at life with more playful eyes. don’t be serious. seriousness becomes like a blindness. don’t pretend to be a thinker, a philosopher. just simply be a human being. the whole world is showering its joy on you in so many ways, but you are too serious, you cannot open your heart" ― osho, the buddha said...  
 
"but as he met those striking emerald eyes, he knew before he'd taken his next breath that she was the one he could spend the rest of his life looking for but never find again" ― nicholas sparks , the notebook
 
"our eyes, locked together, speak more naked truths than our mouths ever have" ― colleen hoover, it ends with us
 
"she lowered her eyes, and suddenly saw him. he was looking up at her. her chin was pressed down, and his eyes were looking up. they met her eyes. and he knew her. she was enchanted—she knew he knew her. so he looked into her eyes, and her soul failed her. he knew her" ― d.h. lawrence, the complete poems    
 
"and above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. those who don't believe in magic will never find it" ― roald dahl, charlie and the chocolate factory
 
"you can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus" ― mark twain, the adventures of tom sawyer 
 
"pursue only what catches your eyes and your heart" ― roy t. bennett, the light in the heart 
 
"you've got this life and while you've got it, you'd better kiss like you only have one moment, try to hold someone's hand like you will never get another chance to, and look into people's eyes like they're the last you'll ever see" ― c. joybell c.
 
"you can see the whole entire world in the eyes of a person who knows how to simply stand there and take all of it into them...but, then you can look into the eyes of someone else and the whole entire world goes away and all that's left is you" ― c. joybell c., saint paul trois chateaux: 1948
 
"the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the face and body that she carries, or the way she styles her hair. the beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides" ― audrey hepburn 
 
"vincent van gogh couldn't have painted the stars in your eyes" ― nina mouawad, blue sun
 
"fun tickets in my pocket, visions in my brain. grandfather always told me if i went down, i might never come back again. i studied the language tapes, and i read all the books. still nothing prepared me for my very first look...it was my first look, baby that's all it took was my first look around...amor a primera vista" ― jimmy buffett, first look.
 
"i think the universe is on my side. heaven and earth have finally aligned...you sprinkle star dust on my pillow case, it's like a moonbeam brushed across my face...and i get lost in your eyes tonight" ― echosmith, bright.
 
"close both eyes to see with the other eye" ― jalaluddin rumi, bridge to the soul
 
"shut your eyes so the heart may become your eye, and with that vision look upon this world" ― jalaluddin rumi, the soul of rumi
 
"love is the cure, for your pain will keep giving birth to more pain until your eyes constantly exhale love as effortlessly as your body yields its scent" ― jalaluddin rumi, bridge to the soul
 
"unable to perceive the shape of you, i find you all around me. your presence fills my eyes with your love, it humbles my heart, for you are everywhere" ― jalaluddin rumi, the essential rumi
 
"listen with ears of tolerance! see through the eyes of compassion! speak with the language of love!" ― jalaluddin rumi, bridge to the soul
 
“tonight is a night of union for the stars, since a bride is coming from the skies, consisting of a full moon. and venus cannot contain herself for charming melodies, like the nightingale which becomes intoxicated with the rose in spring-time...see how the polestar is ogling leo's passion and behold what moondust pisces is stirring up from the deep waters of space! jupiter has galloped his steed against ancient neptune...for this sky is the astrolabe, and the reality is love; whatever we say of this, attend to the meaning, on that dawn when you shine, the dark night is transformed to glow bright, so bright by your moonlike face with starry eyes" ― jalaluddin rumi, the essential rumi
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ABOUT THE IMPRESSION
"guardians of the night, the moai are forever and always singing a silent lullaby with a distinct but hidden rhythm, one i can both hear and see in my mind's eye...an enchanting pulse much the same a symbiotic heartbeat, drawing me in closer like a lover. falling in line with the melody, i only have to sigh and i'm rejoined in rejoicing. it's metaphysical music to my ears, and nourishment for my soul, and a cadence i want to hear more and more often in my life these days, forever and always such a beautiful tune embedded into the eye of my beating heart" ― bodhi, eyes
 
this impression was captured on the western side of the island of rapa nui, on july 1st, 2019. this is a single moai statue just on the outskirts of hanga roa (the only village on the island)...
 
this is a portrait composition created by using the photomerge function in adobe photoshop cc to blend together 2 separate semi-long exposures taken a few hours apart from each other...the first of the statue just after the sun had set (f/11@24mm for 111seconds, iso-64), and the second a few hours later after all the remaining light of the sun had faded away and stars in darks skies were overhead (f/1.4@24mm for 13seconds, iso-1600)...
 
in my photography, i always use filters to create longer exposure effects and balance the light in my composition in-camera. and this composition is no exception...i often use as many as four filters at time, and i always use at least one filter...for this exposure, to get the effects and balance i was looking for, i used two progreyusa filters. in the capture of this completed composition...  
 
the two filters i chose for moai exposure (f/11@24mm for 111seconds, iso-64) part of this impression were a 3.0 nd progrey antarctica filter. to slow down the dwindling post-sunset light 10 stops and permit the long exposure time of 111sec which creates the smoothing effects of ocean....combined in tandem with 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 above the horizon an extra three stops and help to permit more of the details in the shadows of the moai statues to come out cleaner in the exposure...
 
 
for the separate second exposure of the stars (f/1.4@24mm for 13seconds, iso-1600), no filters were necessary, so none were used...
 
with this being two semi-long exposures merged together into one composition, i needed the great set of filters and filter holder from progreyusa. to help beautifully block down the light 10 stops. and as with all longer exposure panoramic comps, an excellent panhead and a stable and sturdy tripod are absolute necessities...i used an induro phq3 series 5-way panhead (now owned by benro). mounted on a dolica 70" carbon fiber travel tripod...these are necessary in order to keep the 2 separate exposed images in perfect line in the same frame with each other, and in sharp focus in the places i wanted sharpness (the rocks, statues) and permit for accurate motion blur for anything moving in the image (ocean waves, clouds)...
 
i wish to openly thank these sponsors who have always supported me through both the good and bad times...for truly this long exposure impression would not be possible without them with every photo i take...
 
"you were blessed with 84,600 seconds today, have you used one of them to say thank you?" ― bodhi, blessed
 
"if nothing else...if i open my eyes, if i hope, 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" ― bodhi, 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" ― bodhi, into my photography
 
"my photography is my way of keeping a diary" ― bodhi, my diary
  
"contemplate without thinking. be certain only in your uncertainty, content to be completely incomplete. stop the rush. slow down time. breathe and notice. slow down everything. let it all be. shut off the noise. hush. relax. seize this higher moment. reconnect. feel and sense what surrounds you. listen to all the colours 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!" ― bodhi, my world
 
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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http://www.bodhismith.com
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