Panthera Uncia -- Pulling Up The Wind

Quil asked me for my thoughts regarding the difference bewteen leopards and snow leopards, which sparked some lovely descriptions. It's a little incoherent. Deal with it.

So here goes. Panthera unica.

Snow leopards are like wind, and leopards are like fire. Snow leopard is cold wind and farther away, leopard is right here now and fire. As Quil described it, Leopard is hererightnow. Snow leopard is everywhereinpastandfuture.

Snow leopard is everywhen. Far away and here inside me all at once, windy cold high in the mountains, tangible when it wants to be, everywhere like the wind.

Pull up the wind -- uncia.

Pull over the fire -- pardus.

Panthera uncia is windknowledgegracepseedstrengthchangeblurmysterysilence. Cold wind, up from inside of me, bringing snow leopard and everything of my soul and self with it. Blowing everyway, everywhere, everywhen.

Grace, perfect and pure.

Human is ... stuck. Caged. In muck. Barred, with iron and steel.

Caught and held back from life.

But snow leopard is blurrunningpastchangingalwaysneverstucknevercaged.

Snow leopard is freedom. Snow leopard is gracestrengthfurtailwindblurmotionmysterysilence. Always moving always running, fasterlighterfartherclimbingjump --

And land on softsilent paws at the top, at the beginning of a journey. A new adventure. Furwhiskterstailpaws, all excited and anticipating the newness. Always going, far away and always here.

Windrushingpastblurredfurpawspoundinghearbeatsrhythm, paleshadowsilencefrostmysteryfurcliffsmountains, swiftsilentstrengthgracefurtailwhiskerspaws, cat.

I am wind, grey-white fur and the shadow of dark rosettes, pawsandheartpoundinginthemountains, like she who is wind and fur.

I am panthera uncia and I see clearer because of it.

I exist and I am free.

I am snow leopard, and all of me is so. Nothing can pull me back, I cannot be caged. Wind and always changing, always moving, dancing and running. I am gracewindblurmysteryknowledgespeed. Snow leopard always.

Myself and everything that I am is existence. Myself is not denied and I run and dance and play and sing. My own song. My own dance. My own way. Cat-life, padding silently, treading a new path.

I look back at my own footsteps and make my own way, flowing and whispering like the wind. Running, paws and heart pounding the rhythm of my way, until I meet myself at the end. Cliffwalk, barepawsonsnowandmountains, and I am snow leopard. Always.

Wind and blur and fur and paws and tail and whiskers, and song and heartbeat. Always.

Climbing far and running, rhythm fur and tail and and wind and at the top is snow leopard, at the top is me.

-Katsune

© copyright

July 27, 2004