Those sunny cold days / and trouble that happens when / clouds get stuck in trees (Note: In my exercise with jo staff, I alternate lifting the staff to the sky and back down to earth. I was noticing the bare branches — it’s Winter after all, and also the dry brown grass on the ground when I brought the … Read More
Pushups in the Woods Haiku, 1/19/20
That evergreen sprig /getting closer and farther /closer and farther (Notes: this little patch of earth gets a lot of my attention over seasons — a pushups station on my running trail through the woods near Lake Massapoag. How often do we really get our faces close to the earth? When you’re doing pushups, it’s about as close as you … Read More
Haiku 1/1/20
A new day’s blessings — two long legs for walking and /a very long stick (Notes: I was thinking my sunrise photos on the first day of the new decade would all be facing the sun rising over Lake Massapoag. But as I turned around, I discovered how amazingly long the shadows of my legs looked. And decided that’s a … Read More
Cutting and Blessing with Sword
One of the major themes in my life the last few years has been “cutting and blessing.” …Going through life changes, getting unstuck, using a wooden sword for my body to feel this. And to do the cutting in a way that doesn’t just discard the past, but blesses it at the same time. Anyone who has gone through a … Read More
The traveling poet: “Cutting Sky”
The highlight of my day: coming across a poet-for-hire GennaRose Nethercott at the District Hall anniversary celebration tonight…I showed her this photo of me playing with jo staff and sky, and in about 3 minutes or less, she typed up this free verse poem: Cutting Sky Take up your sword, felled from a tree which grew into the swelling earth. … Read More
Experiencing the Total Eclipse 2017
(timelapse video above) I happened to be in the right place at the right time (after sifting through last minute weather forecasts) to experience the total eclipse at nearly the maximum length: 2 minutes and 33 seconds. In our case, we ended up outside an old graveyard in the rolling sandhills outside Arnold, Nebraska. A perfect place, perfect time, perfect … Read More
An extraordinary run on ocean trails in Australia
Had one of my best runs ever today – up a mountain trail I discovered by chance here in Victoria Australia. Past some waterfalls, up mountain stairs, startled two kangaroos, out to Castle Rock lookout with an exhilarating (and terrifying) view. I’m not a “serious” runner, but sometimes when the land is so gorgeous, it feels good to spend everything, … Read More
William Ricketts Sanctuary: Forest of Love, Victoria Australia
Yet another extraordinary nature experience I had here in Australia…the William Ricketts Sanctuary in the Dandenong Mountains outside of Melbourne. The sanctuary incorporates 90 or so sculptures built into trails in the landscape…all by the visionary artist William Ricketts, who created a “forest of love” focusing on connection to nature and aboriginal experience. Feels like a combination of William Blake, … Read More
Three stones from home…
When I went back to my homelands, to the hill looking over the Missouri River, I decided it was a good opportunity to find three stones to carry with me, to do the meditation I learned at the mindfulness retreat with Thich Nhat Hahn many years ago. What I discovered was, there aren’t many stones on the hills looking over … Read More
Thich Nhat Hahn Meditation: Three Stones
I was fortunate many years ago to attend a 5 day mindfulness retreat with meditation teacher, peace activist, and poet Thich Nhat Hahn, much admired world wide for his work, including the book Present Moment Wonderful Moment. Our days were spent in walking meditation, sitting meditation, mindful eating, lectures, and small group meetings. One of the powerful techniques I learned … Read More