noah's raven

raven overhead..
circling..
i continue the walk
though i have called jorja..
i am so ready to drop..
ready for the ride..
the foaming dog took
whatever i had left
and fed it to the crows!

joe and jorja live in a home
that they have built themselves.
passive solar..olde doors..
colourful tiles, beadwork lampshades!
good friday, indeed!

in a big book on the table i open to:
noah's raven

why should i have returned?
my knowledge would not fit into theirs.

i found untouched the desert of the unknown,
big enough for my feet.
it is my home.

it is always beyond them.
the future splits the present
with the echo of my voice.

hoarse with fulfillment,
i never made promises.

w.s. merwin

we share the evening
with food that "spoils us"
(says joe)
poetry and roses..

in the morning, jorja and i speak
of the miracle of the living waters..
she feeds me breakfast..
offers granola for the road..

moe arrives to drive me across
the astoria bridge..
no pedestrians!
she has shopping..
perfect timing...
rain, wet..
then she drives me across
the warrenton bridge..
no pedestrians!

as the raven flies..
moe lands me at the beach house
of kathy s. in twin rocks!
i am in oregon..
the day before easter sunday..
praises!

no bad dogs

oooo!
the law of attraction...
hummm!

there is a park way up the road at bruceport..
the gate is open though it says closed.
i wander in to have a rest and seek the view.
ah! great trees line the path..
i see a trailer..a truck.
i am almost to what i think is the view
when this dog of unusual size is bounding
straight for me..
there is much barking, growling..
the earth is moving..
this is a very, very big dog.
this very big dog is foaming at the mouth..
i start by chanting janet m.'s blessing:
no bad dogs!
did i mention foaming?
breathing, chanting, turning right around..
i walk slowly to erase any fear from my skin..
no bad dogs..
he bumps me, he nudges me..
o my the foam...
good dog..you are such a very good dog..
only good dogs!
he turns away..
i am a rag, a lump..a whither..
only good dogs!

ode for moe

moe and family live in a big blue house!
the kitchen drain had been clogged for a few days
so the landlord is putting in a new dishwasher;
as well as fixing the sink!

it is john's day off..
he gets to shampoo the carpet..
moe gives me the tour and i meet:
jeremiah (5) who is the entertainer.
micah (sam)(7) who is the poultry aficionado
and artist.
hannah (9) who is known for her artistic moves.
she loves to read.
josiah (12) has deep dimples
and is the basketball wiz.
remembre alex?(14)
who WILL be the governor of washington.
alex was recently a page in olympia!

the children have all been home schooled
from the get go; though now
they are attending public school.
they are all in the 4-h club!

i am then introduced to:
2 ducks: prince and miss duck.
2 turkeys: tucker and miss me.
3 cats: jet, oliver and justice.
plus the porch cat..
sunamee..an amazon bird
sayla..a gray timna
tobie: the jack russel
and 100 other birds.
banties, egg and meatbirds!
there is another bird up
in alex and hannah's room..

a house full..
and room for me!

since moe is the assistant director
for the raymond players..
we are off to the dress rehearsal
of deep sleepers.
2 run-throughs..
a two-act that does not put you to sleep!

when we get home, we all jump in
to clean up the kitchen..
from dishes to sweeping to mopping!
with 14 plus hands.. pretty quick work!
banana cake in the oven for breakfast!

alex and moe pick out 3 wise men
essential oil for the next house
down the road..jorja..a friend of moe's!

i am rewarded with a reflexology treatment
and soon find slumber on a very cozy couch.
mosaicbymoe@yahoo.com

in the am..
alex and i head toward south bend
walking for peace and waving.
there we find jorja in her bead shoppe..
i will continue on toward bay center
where jorja and joe live.
we pick out a gift for the next host;
a dream catcher and a love bead necklace.
is this the 60's or what?

alex and jorja and i decide
that it is "fair" for me
to leave my pack in jorja's car..
i will walk free and easy!
the journey to bay center is a bit long
so i will walk 10/12 miles,
then jorja will scoop me up on her way home!

moe comes by to pick up alex..
i have no knee braces, no pack..
no wonder the peace pilgrim traveled lightly!

heartbone connected to the footbone!

i am heading to moe and john's home
in raymond..it is about 24/26 miles
so we agreed i'd walk about 1/2 of those,
then moe would pick me up.

the trucks along 101..
all the roads i've been traveling ..
are big, long, noisy..
stirring up dust and cement!

my routine with them is to stop,
step aside a wee bit,
then give them a toothsome
grin from ear to ear..
and of course, wave!

when i arrived at clark's restaurant,
a gentleman came out..
he had seen me walking from afar..
his wife and grandson, anthony (6)
introduced themselves..
anthony gave me a high-five;
he has the peace sticker!
they gave me their blessings..

moe drives up..
with her daughter, alex..
who will be the governor
of washington!


diane p. connected me with moe,
moe connected me with kingsley and connie
(of high f'lutin' fame)..

the teachings offered by the dalai lama
in san francisco..(15 days to get there)
are: the joy of dependent arising.
no thing arises from its own side.
everything is dependent on everything,
for existence.
the interdependence of every single everything.
it is how we live, breath, and have our being!
yet...
we mistakenly identify with the "i"
that is separate..
the "i", "me", "mine"..
do not fixate on anything!

trees

granny served me her canned pears for breakfast..
o my..
we discovered we had both been
to the calanish stones in scotland..
way out in the outer hebrides..
nary a many have traveled so far..
we claimed our right to one another's heart!

walking 107 to join scenic 101
along the chehalis river
put me on the edge
with many a lumber truck..
trucks/trees going forward
trees/trucks going back!

..i composed..
a walking tree song
which i sung to the hillsides
that were shaved off and logged..
the land IS being re-forested
yet it looks/feels a bit of a mess..
there is an emptiness
somewhere in my mid-heaven!

for earth day..22nd april..
it actually has a bit more bark to it
when one foot goes in front of the other..

o you trees; trees without trees..
o you trees; birds without trees..
o you trees; squirrels without trees..
o you trees; 'coons without trees..
o you trees; deer without trees..
o you trees; cougar without trees..
o you trees; elk without trees..
o you trees; fox without trees..
o you trees; cats without trees..
o you trees; humans without trees..
o you trees; trucks without trees..
o you trees; trees without trees..

it does get one down the road..
chanting as i walk..the river beside me..
sun and breeze..robin hopping in front to the tune..
quince blooming..strong smell of cedar.

have i told you lately?

it is great good fortune to be able to walk:
to walk towards/in peace and unity..
to walk in simplicity..

i remembre an anecdote
from prime minister nehru...india..
when gandhi said..
he wanted to live simply
so others could simply live..
nehru retorted..kindly!
do you know how much
it costs me for gandhi to live simply?!

this walk would be very different for me
were it not for o so many of you
who have generously offered support..
money-wise, provisions, places to stay..
meals, mail collection and banking..
talismans of protection..
e-mails, comments of encouragement
and lovingkindness!

it has been a month
since we all gathered
at the school to step out
on the peacepath..
with a deep bow to YOUR feet;
my hands folded in gratitude..
thank you!

granny!

there was a motel in montesano
where i was heading for the night..
it was in the busiest section of towne..
trucks and tractors buzzz, buzz-buzzing..
i chequed in at the gas station
where i was to register.
i simply could not bring my self
to sign up..asked about any b and b's..
asked to borrow the fone book..
they found the one and only for me..

i rang and granny answered..
the right place..!
she waved me down and we set a time for tea!
she is a quilter..o my..she makes fruitcake o my o!
she and four generations of family
run the grande olde home..
baseball on the big screen with popcorn,
laundry to be done..fresh grass to rest on..
a pretty good rate for a traveling waif..

before the game, i was introduced to another guest.
he stays 4 nights a week, then travels home.
he works at the nuclear reactors..

i watch my judgement surface;
remembering my anxiety
around the energetics of the stacks..
i see the war zone warming up..
there! there is the start of war!

we all watch the ball game
until we can't take it anymore..
mariners-zip
athletics-9

in the middle of sleeptime..
i am awakened by shouts,
by moans, by cries of terror.
nightmares in the next room..
that is the feeling i had
walking in the shadows of the towers..
nightmares..
wraiths galloping away with the mind..
it is oddly intimate to be privy
to a strangers dreams..
the cries and screams continued..
the war subsided in my heart..
breathing in..the stallions of night
breathing out..magnolias!