Poetry For Now

In March 2024 I travelled to New Braunfels, Texas and spent days playing tennis and a night in Gruene Hall.  A friendly bar and music venue.  As usual with my camera in hand, I found people willing and open to share themselves.  I discovered stories in my photos (please look at my website) and my musings in an old note book and realized there was poetry hidden in there!

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After 3 days in Venice I take a bus up into the Dolomite Mountains to my starting point, Cortina.  6 days walking from town to town, across the most unusual and dramatic landscapes shaped both by glacial erosion and volcanic activity.  As you listen to these poems enjoy my photos at thewalkingpoet.net  My  bucket list is shrinking and As one adventure ends, the next one is about to begin!

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AT THE END OF 2023 we spent 2 months in India and some of these poems reflect my experience in the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Ganeshpuri where we participated in a retreat called Pilgrimage to the Heart and then stayed and offered service.   Sacred space  seems to exist in  "powerful" physical locations, in reality we each carry own Sacred Space in our Hearts.

The Nobel Laureate poet Joseph Brodsky said :
Humanity should always be in touch with the Gods,
Poetry carries their messages,
A poem encases humanity.

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As  I waited for inspiration the world changed - the war between Israel & Hamas - the power battle between extremes in the GOP - The performance we attended of “Considering Matthew Shepard”, a poignant and brilliant reminder of the co-existence of hate and love.  You will hear how I have been effected by these, as I realize that poetry has a valuable role in this world.
These poems also reflect my search for an experience of the famed "Vortexes of Sedona".

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This episode continues my photographic trip down the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon.  These poems describe the "total experience" of life on the river; ending with our last supper!

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 Season 3 Episode 13 Colorado river poems

for 7 nights & 8 days in the heat of Late August & early September 2023 I went rafting down the Colorado River through the rapids of  the Grand Canyon, taking a landscape photo workshop with 8 students and 2 teachers. Every evening I read my daily poem to the group - here they are!  
Notes: The 2 rafts were named "Raven" and "Red Wall".  A Sarong is a long length of colorful cloth you can wrap around you.  A "Groover" is a portable toilet critical to keeping the river clean.

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These poems are from my first photography & poetry book published on Blurb.com in 2011.  They are a reflection of my concern about the environment (before Al Gore's Book "The Inconvenient Truth").  They follow the 5 Elements of Earth, Water, Air, Wood, & Fire.

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We are lucky to live with a nature preserve on our doorstep, and the Naples Botanical Garden a bike ride away.  We also had a family week in the Outer Banks.  All these places inspired these poems.  I was also motivated by a Masterclass given by Amanda Gorman.

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In Part 1 you heard about Thailand and Laos.  Part 2 is highlights of our experiences in Cambodia and Vietnam - of course all in "verse"!   Living in London, England, I was unaware of the reality of the Vietnam war or later the Khmer Rouge - this trip revealed the true horror that these countries went through; and yet they have successfully moved on.

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In April and May we traveled in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam.  3 1/2 weeks is really just enough time to get a taste for the major cities, countryside and cultures.  So rather than get into the detailed day to day activities I hope to communicate to you the experiences that touched us most.  This episode is about Thailand and Laos.

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