~The poet uses the butterfly net of language to catch fleeting images in mid-flight~

Monday, May 23, 2011

Heading There


Today,
Hiking up the rugged Santa Lucias,
I have arrived at a shady stream.
Not yet the nearby mountain top;
Although, I’m heading there.
After the grueling uphill,
The blazing sun,
And the gossiping gnats in my ear,
I have stopped to rest
In the coolness of the canyon.
Sinking into the solitude,
I am caught in the soothing energy
Of the stream’s murmur and splatter.
Every swirl, ripple and roil,
Every cascade, fall and boil
Show me the water’s
Irrepressible signature.
All of it…
A melding of moods
All of it…
A drama of surrendering
All of it…
Beyond seriousness

In every moment
The creek replaces itself
And then, again and again
Continuing forever
On a mapless journey
Toward an inescapable destiny.
The whirlpools keep spinning,
While muffled voices keep calling.
The water keeps leaping and falling
Over, around and down
The fronts and sides of endless slippery rocks.
This creek has finally shown me
That I have no goals in life,
Save for the easy movement
That takes me to a quiet place.

When you finally get there,
Look for me at the mountaintop.
I am the butterfly
Carried upward
On the breath of the canyon breeze.



14 comments:

  1. So simple and so true. "I am the butterfly
    Carried upward
    On the breath of the canyon breeze." Beautiful...

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  2. "... the easy movement
    That takes me to a quiet place"

    Yes! Nature gives us that, if we'd only stop to listen, as you do.

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  3. this is gorgeous...i love nature, the stream is something i have sat by and pondered many a time...and to be a butterfly would be a delight...smiles.

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  4. thank you for this journey to serenity. quite divine!

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  5. tickle in my ear ~ muffled voices keep calling ~ gossiping gnats

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  6. a quiet place
    within lucy's embrace

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  7. I love this ... after a hectic day and on my feet for nearly all of it ... the many demands of work and home life ... what a blessing to breathe these words in and exhale all the cares I had accumulated. Thank you for the serenity that has replaced the angst tonight.

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  8. Beautifully shared... love the line 'on the breath of a canyon breeze' ... stunning.

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  9. thats what we all are...
    aimless journeys like the river thinks
    yet inexorably caried
    to the shore
    our destiny!

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  10. Ah, so beautiful...I love your philosophy.. 'This creek has finally shown me
    That I have no goals in life,
    Save for the easy movement
    That takes me to a quiet place.' ~ so true..lovely..

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  11. "And the gossiping gnats in my ear,"

    Yes, I arrive gnats gossip in one's ear. Being a hiker, I was on the trek with you. To my surprise... I needed wings. Nice write.

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  12. Love this: Of the stream’s murmur and splatter.

    Every swirl, ripple and roil,

    Every cascade, fall and boil

    Show me the water’s

    Irrepressible signature. THANK YOU for sharing

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  13. I am in agreement with the posters, this poem calls our attention to that moment in natural time. Thank you for that

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  14. Love this Tiger. Wonderful visual, water movement. Could see it. I'll be looking for you at the top.

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