“Follow me, my son”, he said to me. I followed him through a narrow, dimly lit corridor. It was very quiet there and the silence was only broken by the sound of our steps on the cold stone and our breaths. Soon, we came to a large wooden door. He rapped on it with his knuckles and it was opened from the inside. I followed him into a dark room that was lit by candles. As my eyes got accustomed to the dimness, I saw the skulls. They were of all shapes and sizes and they were everywhere. I broke into a cold sweat. I think he noticed my discomfort and lay a hand gently on my shoulder. Then he pointed to some rugs in front of what looked like an altar and asked me to sit. I sat down and he sat beside me, assuming a lotus position. I assumed a lotus position too.
I could not take my eyes off the skulls and yet I saw the inscription above the altar. Even in the dim light, I could read what it said:
“The flame of the candle will burn out one day and leave a darkness around it. Until then, seize every moment to make the light of the flame count so when the darkness falls, the last thing you feel is regret.”
Suddenly, I understood the symbology of it all…I got it….that day in…
“The Shrine”
(A Wet Plate Collodion image)
