Burning The Temple - Part 2

A Fictional Recollection In Four Parts

The next morning Miss Bliss sipped on her coffee from the communal kitchen as she chatted with her camp-mates before dawning her goggles and handkerchief and wandering out onto the Playa. She wore her furry knee high platform boots, some bikini bottoms and a chain mail vest that was mostly see-thru. This was all standard Burning Man attire and she hardly stood out in the early morning crowd. She walked down the 6 o'clock Avenue and came to the Man. The huge stick figure towered over the center of the playa and was surrounded by an elaborate structure that symbolized the theme of this year’s event; Evolution. She continued outward toward the far reaches of the playa taking in all of the art that had been installed on the vast dust covered plain. A half mile from the Man she came to the Temple, recently finished and opened to the masses. This year’s Temple design was a giant lotus flower. She mounted the spiral staircase and went inside.

Even though it was early in the day, the Temple walls were already being covered in writing. All burners eventually visited the Temple to pay homage and remember the special moments that had affected them over the past 12 months. Eulogies for those departed, lost friends remembered, devotionals for those still living. They were written on walls, ceilings and stair wells. There were mementos shoved into the cracks and seams. Photographs, lockets, concert ticket stubs, guitars; would eventually adorn every inch of the structure. Bliss took her time and read them for hours. Sharing in their grief and wondering how they all coped. Eventually, she took a stray felt tipped pen and scribbled on the upper railing, “Nob, Now that you are gone, I don’t really know who you were – Bliss”.

Scout looked down a long corridor of arched wire rods. They were 12 foot high at their apex and snaked for a hundred yards across the desert, making a sort of open air hallway. This was all like some sort of dream. He had been wandering the playa for hours, taking in all the installations and people. The scope and size of the event were not something that his mind was prepared for. He realized he was getting pretty tired and thirsty. He looked for a place to rest and made his way to the Temple to sit in the shade of the giant flower-like structure. Like Bliss, his eyes also started to wander over the thousands of scribbles that were being written even as he sipped on his canteen.

While wandering the upper level of the temple, Scout came across Bliss' note and paused. He wondered who he really was sometimes. All the things that he had pursued throughout his life seemed hollow. The house in the 'burbs' and the shinny new car along with the 2.5 kids and the dog seemed like cruel jokes to him. They were all false images set up by capitalists and corporate leaders to push Proctor and Gamble, GMC and Maytag. He was questioning everything and those questions had lead him here instead of the beaches of Acapulco. Who was he and what did he really want? He wasn't sure anymore. He wanted something like this. Something like Burning Man, but he knew that this couldn't last. This was just a waking dream that would end eventually.

Bright pleaded with Bliss. "Come on Bliss, this will be fun, life is all about taking chances." Bright was short for Star Bright. She was Bliss' partner in crime in most things Burning Man. Bliss could not recall how many times they had passed out on the playa together or gotten each other out of tight spots on the past. Bright was trying to convince Bliss to accompany her to the Costco Soulmate Camp. It involved filling out a questionnaire and submitting it for data analysis to see which other Burner would be your soulmate. Bliss reluctantly agreed. Life moves on and so must she. She needed to focus on the future and not dwell on her past.

....to be continued

Burning The Temple - Part 1
Burning The Temple - Part 2
Burning The Temple - Part 3
Burning The Temple - Part 4

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Writers Note: The imagery and some of the events represented in this work of fiction were taken from my recent trip to the Burning Man Festival in 2009. To see more of my photographs from the event check out my Flickr Collection. To view my video documenting our trip to Burning Man, check out my You Tube channel. You can also check out the Burning Man Video Guide on my You Tube Channel as well. If you want to learn more, visit the Burning Man Website.