"Mata Ki Te Rangi" by Bodhi Smith

Oct 20, 2023

 
my eyes to the sky
my only focus until i die
on this island in the sea
one day’s where i long to be
without her i can’t survive
she makes me feel so alive
for this beautiful temptress
i’ll never settle for any less
she knows my soul 
she is my only goal
when i’m with her
life’s good for sure
 
take me away to your shores
where my lion infinitely roars
both sunsets and sunrises
we’ll bear no disguises
your  soft beach sands
in my welcome hands 
both day and night
our love’s a delight
we’re one together
always touching forever
 
 
MY THOUGHTS
The truest love of my life might quite possibly be this beautiful remote island out in the middle of nowhere  ― Bodhi, Mata Ki Te Rangi
 
"Mata Ki Te Rangi" translates roughly in English to "Eyes To The Sky"...and long with "Te Pito Te Henua" (meaning "The End of the World"), "Mata Ki Te Rangi" was one of the original names for the remote and extremely isolated South Pacific Island of Rapa Nui (also known as Easter Island and Isla De Pascua). This place is enchanting and magical, like no other spot on the planet...its statues transcend time, uniquely creating an air of mystique from shore to shore across the island. And just outside its main settlement of Hanga Roa, sits this spiritual sacred Moai (statue) enjoying a colorfully stellar sunset. It's complete with his traditional pukao (hat), and his black obsidian with glowing white coral eyes to the sky...It was sculpted to resemble and honor a fallen chief, and was purposefully placed in a specific location, always with his back to the sea in order to watch over and bring good fortune to all the natives of this beautiful and exotic island far far away from the rest of civilization…
 
Magical is just a word, but the vision it represents in our mind's eye is a memory, or a dream, or a love of something that is just too wonderful to describe with merely a word ― Bodhi, Mata Ki Te Rangi
 
Rapa Nui is one of those places that is just too distinctive to describe with just a single word...but if i had to, and could only use one word, and one word only, then that one word would be "magical" for me...
 
My first visit in 2015 was special, and I left the island in awe, not wanting to leave. So I returned, twice more, once in 2018 (when this photo was taken) and again in 2019. Like visiting a lover, I always want to come, but I never want to leave. Unfortunately each time I arrive on the island, I always have to leave. And after I leave, I leave wanting more. I'm not done yet, not by a longshot. I want to go back again and again...
 
Because with my eyes to the sky, 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 remotely close to being done with Rapa Nui in my life. I feel like this is all just the beginning for me, my relationship with her 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 the rest of my life, together this island and me...
 
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, Mata Ki Te Rangi

Since that very first visit to Rapa Nui nearly 8 years ago, I've found my dreamland place in reality. And it's a place I've frequently revisited in my subconscious ever since, almost nightly, going back to her shores in the southern Pacific Ocean. It's here where there are the sacred Moai (spiritual statues), forever looking inward with their backs to the sea, protecting the island from spiritual invaders...
 
Guardians of both day and 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...
 
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 miss this island dearly and cannot wait to return for my 4th visit in early October of 2024 to see her again. But it's truly that which is missing from Rapa Nui that makes me miss her so much. It's those things that she's empirically lacking that makes her so appealing, so utterly beautiful to me...to many people, it seems the island is missing a lot. Where as for me, Rapa Nui is not missing anything 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 Starbucks, no McDonalds or fast food chains, no Walmart, no retail shopping centers, no 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 (15 miles) across...

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, Mata Ki Te Rangi

And that's exactly yet another reason why this is my favourite island, the simple fact that Rapa Nui doesn't have those kind of amenities, those distractions, those noises. It's purely missing absolutely nothing of what it's missing...

So because of all that she's lacking, Rapa Nui keeps away many people who would not appreciate the island for being such an unspoiled place on this planet. All those distracted souls who want a big brand name resort that caters to their ever whim, where everyone speaks English as they sit on a white sandy beach with the choice of a hundred palm trees to sit under, drinking a frozen margarita while eating juicy fresh tropical fruit and shrimp cocktail....
 
While Rapa Nui is tropical, she has only a few palm trees scattered about, and even fewer sandy beaches, as the island comprises mostly volcanic rock on its shores. There are no fruits harvested in her boundaries, and no ice or blenders to make a frozen concoction on the island or even 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--a heaven on Earth for me...
 
Thankfully 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, enchanted by its mystique, always with my Mata Ki Te Rangi (eyes to the sky)...
 
Like visiting a lover, I always want to come, but I never want to leave ― Bodhi, Mata Ki Te Rangi
 
Released ten years ago in 2013, this tune goes perfectly in parallel meanings to accompany my image and blog, and especially so because it also sports the same title as my photo today.  "Eyes To The Sky" by Jon Bellion. ... (just click on the blue links to listen to any of the songs)

Oh, yeah
Anxiety dances across my pillow case
My god, it dances
It's like, 1, 2 step
It's asking stupid questions
Like "Are you living right?", such stupid questions
'Cause I'm just trying to
I'm tryna live, I'm tryna rise
Above the shit, the devil tries
Which is why I keep my eyes to the sky
Insert something really dope right here
I'm supposed to write a hook but all I wanna say is
I just wanna be happy (I just wanna be happy)
Wanna be happy, yeah
I'm supposed to write a f'ing hook right here
Money and bitches blah, blah, yeah, yeah
I just wanna be happy (I just wanna be happy)
Wanna be happy, yeah
I've been working my ass off
That's why Christina left me, been working my ass off
On this project, but I guess that it's okay
My family never liked you, I guess that it's okay
Now I'm just, I'm just
I'm tryna live, I'm tryna rise
Above the shit, the devil tries
Which is why I keep my eyes to the sky
Insert something really dope right here
I'm supposed to write a hook but all I wanna say is
I just wanna be happy (I just wanna be happy)
Wanna be happy, yeah
I'm supposed to write a f'ing hook right here
Money and bitches blah, blah, yeah, yeah
I just wanna be happy, I just wanna be happy
Wanna be happy, yeah
Listen, boo-boo, bear with me, yeah
Smarter than your average
Raised around Brooklyn based Italian
There's so much soul up in my Johnson, I don't need a rapper on it
'Cause the urbans in my testes but I come and pop packaging, yikes
Bunch of pricks talk shit, we call that cactusing
We don't want no Fight Club, don't want no Brad Pitt'in
Braymance like this shit just when I'm ad-libbin'
Fronting on my Sean Penn, what movie are you actin' in?
Seventh grade I said "I'm 'bout to leave the masses then"
My ex-girlfriend's sister said, "You babbling"
Even back then cook crack, drug trafficking
I'm tryna live, I'm tryna rise
Above the shit the devil tries
Which is why I keep my eyes to the sky
You're gonna be okay kid, you're gonna be okay
 
 
 
THE DEEPER STORY BEHIND THIS IMPRESSION
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'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...
 
Our eyes, locked together, speak more naked truths than our mouths ever have ― Colleen Hoover, It Ends With Us
 
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 attentio for this portrait of a Moai statue from Rapa Nui...
 
"Eyes" are 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...
 
In afterglow of sunset, I feel her radiance brightly above, I play in her magical wilderness. As an eye witness, I witness the angelic innocence in her eyes...I know my focus is always up to her ― Bodhi, Eyes
 
The meaning behind the name of this image, "Mata Ki Te Rangi" (translated as "eyes to the sky") is clearly simple: with its glowing eyes that never close, this Moai stands lookout, watching over the entire island every day and all night long with its undivided attention...this Moai along with all the others 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 in 5th grade, I saw a painting of Easter Island one day during a social studies lesson in school. I asked my teacher if the place 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...
 
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. As I write these words before you, I'm missing everything about Rapa Nui. I always want to come, and never wanting to leave her. There's truly nowhere else in the world that does this to me, including my home here in San Diego, California, a place where I will always belong without question, one that I love so dearly. The only thing that comes close to this electric desire I have for her, 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 her. The remoteness, the Moai, 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...
 
There's just something about her shores that draws me in, draws me back time and time again, I truly love being 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 the entire island behind, another fact that makes her so damned 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 few years because of the impacts on international travel due to the world's fear of the Covid19 virus... 
 
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
 
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 (which will be next year on October 2, 2024)...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...
 
A mystique that I just cannot stay away from no matter how hard I try. 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 another 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, the late great 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 Rapa Nui 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
 
 
 
SOME MORE MUSIC
This song is a newer 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's 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 rRichard sSwift 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"...this is another perfect 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.
 
 
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....it's another perfect 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.
 
 
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 a 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, she's with me each night, with me only in my dreams, until that day when our eyes finally meet and she steps out of my dreams and into my life..."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.
 
 
 
SOME MORE APROPOS QUOTES ABOUT 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 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
 
if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. everything is simply happy to just be ― osho
 
man cannot change or escape his time. the eyes look to the sky and see the present and the future ― salvador dali 
 
your eyes show the strength of your soul ― paulo coelho, the alchemist
 
pursue only what catches your eyes and your heart ― roy t. bennett, the light in the heart 
 
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.
 
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.
 
look at your eyes. they are small, yet they behold the world ― jalaluddin rumi, bridge to the soul
 
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
 
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
 
 
A FEW MORE BODHI RAPANUI QUOTES
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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 
 
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
 
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
 
 
 
SPECIFICS ABOUT THIS PHOTO
With my eyes to the sky, I know I still have things I want to do, and unfinished moments there to spend, to live, to just be...for greater adventures and so many more beautiful moments still lie ahead the rest of my life, together this island and me ― Bodhi, Mata Ki Te Rangi
 
Located next to the settlement of Hanga Roa is the Tahai Ceremonial Complex--Tahai translates in English to "where the sun hides"... it's here where you find the Ahu Ko Te Riku (seen in my photo) which is the only Moai on the Island with eyes, they are made of white coral and black obsidian...and at this location there are three separate ceremonial ahu (not seen in my image, just out of frame), along with the tomb of William Mulloy and his wife Emiuly Rose who both helped restore the fallen moai around the island and collectively the location is named ahu tahai and these are the the closet ahu to the main town on the island, Hanga Roa, just a short walking distance north of the village center...and as I've stated in previous blogs about Easter Island, I love how the statues, called Moai, face inland, with their backs to the ocean, watching over the people of the town of Hanga Roa, guardians of the island.
 
This image was captured about 20 minutes after sunset on March 30th, 2018 at 8:37pm local time ...
 
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...
 
And to get the effects and balance I was looking for in this composition, I used one ProgreyUSA Filter. along with the ProgreyUSA G-120Z Antarctic Magnetic Holder. to secure this filter to my Nikon D850 with a Nikon Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. ... 
 
Camera Settings for the Ahu Ko Te Riku: 
ISO-64, 80mm at f/2.8 for 4 seconds using one ProgreyUSA 0.9GND Aurora Filter. to bring down the sky 3 stops and help darken the bright post sunset glowing clouds and light, creating a better in-camera balance in the overal image composition with the much darker grass, stones, shadows, and Moai in the foreground...
 
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 an Induro (now Benro) Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod. in combination with the ProgreyUSA Filters. which I use with every photo I take...
 
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
you were blessed with 84,600 seconds today, have you used one of them to say thank you? ― bodhi, blessed
 
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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