Amidst the lush ferns and mystic green
Below the towering canopy of a moss-strung forest,
A heavenly whisper can be heard;
A call to adventure and carefree joy.
Follow the song deep into the fragrant mist
To find the source of such a subliminal voice,
Past golden havens of hanging orchids
And through the rich petrichor of the undergrowth,
Until at last you come upon a mythical waterfall.
Waves of sun-gilt vapour kiss your skin coolly,
Sending thrilling shivers down to your toes.
The waterfall seems to spill from the very trees,
Filtering golden rays onto the mystic rainbows
That arc perfectly over the crystalline water.
The water cascades wildly over moss-caped stones,
Catching bits of sun in glistening liquid diamonds
And sweeping them into a clear, pebble-bottomed pool.
Butterflies of every colour flit from blossom to blossom;
Green and yellow parrots swoop beneath the tall trees:
The perfect image of paradise to your weary heart.
The giggling rush of the cataract harmonizes
With the calls and songs of unseen creatures,
Lulling you into a quiescent contentment
That could never be provided by anything else.
The shadow-strewn pool tempts you,
Inviting you to taste of its deep, dulcet waters,
Or to swim among the silver, ghost-like fish
That flash in and out of the sunlight.
The rays reaching you cup your face gently,
Enveloping you like a lover's embrace
And inspiring you into impulsive euphoria.
In a heartbeat, you are beside the lagoon,
Standing on the cool, slippery rocks.
Poising, you dive, internally gasping with adrenaline
As you cut the water and sleek down,
Feeling the silky water rush past down your body.
Opening your eyes, a blurred, azuline world meets your gaze,
Effervescence rising up all around your awe-struck stupor.
The muffled cadence of the waterfall reaches your ears
And sunlight wafts down in changing patterns onto your face,
Mixing refreshing cool with invigorating warmth.
Only when your lungs have reached their utter end
Do you push off the solid, pebbly bottom
And break the surface with a breath of untamed delight.
You float weightless on your back, a bird of the water.
Ages drag on into legend and myth, yet still you stay,
Afraid to lose the fleeting beauty that will eventually slip away,
Fading until you can't tell if the moment actually happened;
If it was simply a figment of your wishful imagination.
So for now, you prefer to delay your departure;
Succumb a little longer to the natural enchantment
Of the singing falls at the centre of a fantasy rainforest.