These poems give a small flavor of our 3 week journey through Japan, which followed my walk on the Kumano Kodo.  In my photo book, Exploring Japan, the themes are Transportation, Food, Gardens, Shrines and Temples and unique cultural experiences like Sumo wrestling, Taiko drumming, a zen monk, making Mochi and Mulberry paper.  These poems, some in the form of WAKAs, follow these themes.

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After 26 hours of travel and a nights rest my pilgrimage begins.

The Kumano Kodō is made up of multiple pilgrimage routes, and my first day is at the end of the Kiiji route, then I continue and in six days complete the Nakahechi route.  Most of these poems start in the Japanese form of Waka or Tanka.

With a loose 5 line structure of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables . The music you hear is a duet of Japanese instruments, the Koto harp and the shakuhachi flute

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As I am about to leave to walk in Japan on the Kumano Kodo, I will leave Florida and the US and enter a different time zone in many ways.  This will be a pilgrimage into another culture, into walking time when everything slows down and awareness of the moment takes hold.  Meanwhile on my training walks I find refreshing moments.  The final poems are from my book Step by Step  about my Camino walk in 2016.

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The last week in March in Washington DC, the cherry blossoms performed their annual wake up call, to remind us that nature is beautiful and apolitical.  The Smithsonian museums gave us artists sharing their views of their worlds through their creativity - opening our minds, eyes and hearts to new ideas and ways to see and feel the world.  The Smithsonian Zoo welcomed visitors to enjoy its animals and especially the happy Giant Pandas.  These poems reflect my experience during those few days in DC.  

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There is a Taoist parable of a farmer and his lost horse.  It seems that a series of “misfortunes” occur, and each time his neighbors say isn’t that terrible .  His response is “Maybe” or “It’s too soon to say”.

Since October last year, when my wife had a bad accident in London, and then with the result of the presidential elections and the first month of this presidency - I have had a hard time writing good poetry and putting together this podcast.  However I have been saying to myself “be optimistic” “Its too soon to say”. “Be grateful for our life”.

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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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