Inspiration: Getting to feel a Wakefield home and family. Posing "the question" regularly. Summer begins in Inuvik – my first encounter with the true north - beautifully stark – Inuit co-workers are warm and sincere and able to verbalize their frustration with the "holonoks" (whites? - outsiders?) in a constructive way.
Thanks Janet for helping me rise above and take a view.
Circle Set (010627)
Sun circles
But never sets.
Shadows linger
Sleepers figure
Dreams de rigeur
But not yet.
Two lines
The tree line
Is just over the hill
North of town.
The life line
Snakes south
Over rough gravel.
Impossibly two places at once. (010829)
Yvonne can’t house sit cause she’s off to London
I got my paris museum tour all planned.
?What's the gig in London - that's another city i GOTTA visit.
Now that I spend most of my time "on the farm".
From Rimouski to NewYork via Labrador
Carole saw the north shore of the st lawrence this summer, and then some.
All the small outports.
And 100s of whales.
Musta made Brooklyn
A pretty tame sail.
Happy on the edge of uncertainty (010831)
Wendy ponders a move
mostly tolerable
and sometimes fun.
grow the children
four and one.
suits the season
certain to come.
while on the edge
we wonder some.
The church of quiet days
Gisele explores her congregations needs (010906)
the church of quiet days
takes time to build and fill.
the space and time it pays
is better than a pill.
Silent Peace (010914)
Gisele organizes a gathering to pray for the world post WTC flattenings
prayers for peace
and expressions of grief
in all denominations
may provide some relief
lead us safely thru the nation’s capital (010916)
dave’s comin for a visit – how’s ottawa gonna treat it’s guests post 010911
?still coming this week.
leave your carving set at home.
and don't linger curiously
near suspicious vans or mobile phones.
be decisive like a president
maybe a bunker on the way
to the safety of the capital
to the centre of the play
be a leader for a day.
kindness (naomi shihab hye – 1995)
Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.
Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to mail letters and purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
It is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.
The size of our cloth (010920)
"deepest things" reflected
thanks for those two "deepest things".
can we know sorry the way the world knows it.
i hurt, i miss, i fear -
so much is just for me -
looms so large -
gets in my way.
i despair of a world heart -
so trying to find a local beat
to buy my bread
and raise my head
to turn with the leaves.
World cloth my cloth (janet kee 010920)
my fear so big
my hurt tears
hot and early
get my attention
these days.
though a nasty voice says
no use
get on with it
I cry and shake and wonder and share
and inquire
because it's what I have
and sometimes just that is enough
to touch what is all clear.
What I have is just enough (100921)
nice to have those work lulls and present minds -
i've had a hard day focussing.
prefer to watch the rain.
having the "cry and shake and wonder and share and inquire"
is indeed the essence of touching - the world - other hearts -
as you said before the two deepest "kindness and sorrow".
?how can we live those both and connect them nurturingly to the larger world
i too am fearful - but it seems so abstract -
as i realize it as been for too long -
all those folks so far away - ?who are they.
a hard question to pose.
off tonight to meet members of the executive of the wakefield united church -
got connected thru the minister who knows the minister at first united hastings and gore
where we set up the employment counseling service.
sometimes a small friendly world after all.
different heartbeats (010930)
lex and I check out cultus lake
i can't see the top
nor quickly walk around
the giant Douglas Fir
when the blue jays finally stop
their prickly bleating sound
the traffic starts to stir
'cause its only just a hop
to the centre of the town
where a different heartbeat's found
and the forest's just a blur
Tempted to call (011009)
A tough morning wonder about my restlessness
lots of weekend thanks giving -
with blessings
We helped ourselves.
but i am still challenged
to just open up and get on
with appreciating it.
anger lingers -
addictions struggle -
purpose wonders -
sometimes in the helplessness of worldwar.
frequently as the vigilant roadside attraction.
i can call them to myside.
or call up the health department.
To help myself.
Phoned spirit
The barker gang with virtual nancy at thanksgiving
thanksgiving blessings from the gang -
your phoned spirit invaded the turkey
and perpetuated the fest.
we put the party to the test -
touched footballs in the snow
charaded icons by the fire.
we weren't ready to retire -
but the morning talked a hike
so a final toast we sang.
giving thanks to all the gang.
Thanks for our peace (janet kee 011009)
The big sky
small window
sushi nosh and allotment walk
was a breeze
soul refreshment.
then
thanksgiving with treasured friends
spur of the moment turkey
and trimmings.
hands held grace
with afghan prayer
and thanks for our peace.
we played password (really)
and beamed
between courses, before the pie
and chamomile.
Be longing (011014)
Writings from the black sheep porch – reflections on tree planting, fall colours, and the wakefield train
No one will notice
The trees when they’re gone
And pretty soon our home
Is where they’ll belong
To border the neighbours
Or colour the yard
Imagine a forest
Its not very hard
Close by
We are close
To the colour summit
Going up
Or coming down
Sensing a winter
Just the corner around.
Framed by the train
When the train pulls out
The back drop rolls
The cameras click
The smiles extol.
There’s a frame to pick
Among the cars
There’s a scene to grab
And make it ours.
When the train pulls out
There are stars about.
Wouldn’t be frants (010229)
we did a little trip to paris and beyond …
poop and scoop
just wouldn't be france
there ain't no fog
its the sacred dog
that wears the pants
every turn (011101)
there is a rhyme at every turn
there is potential inspiration.
can i pop some motivation
for the rhyme of my heartburn
welfy (011103)
stop feeling sorry for myself and start down the
long road
small steps
keep watch
note regrets.
wonder why
politely try
to love myself
and use my wealth.
Dogspell (011108 mbarker)
May Ruberic be the next name of our dog
And Rubric remain a vocabu log.
Learning (020101 janet kee)
Learning to rise
just slightly
above the
wreck of my mind
and take a view.
Learning that the me
I am so wedded to
is a shell
of contrivance.
Learning to trust
to leave it behind
a second, or less,
at a time.
Learning to notice
how I rush without
a mite of reflection
to embrace myself again.
Learning to start over.
Starting over (020104)
Thanks janet for your heart given support
new year's fresh breath fires starting-over intentions ... but
taking the slightly-above view.
trusting the left-behind second.
re-embracing the without-reflection self.
?aren't these each wee steps -
not about faces -
on the self-knowing road
so long traveled
destination distant and unknown
but promised to require
the intention to appear -
and pose the question
thru the year
Copyright Notice © Peter Gillies, Janet Kee, Margaret Barker 2001
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