spectacularly…
peak-ing through the clouds
mountains are grounding. profoundly so.
rooted in being…
even as they float shyly in weightless illusion.
between there and here…
as a child we drove out to the rockies… twice.
i still have deep visions of those trips… merged between the two journeys…
the visiting bears on the roads through northern ontario
exploring every mine that we could
the endless peter rabbit games in the backseat of the car
sitting between my two grandmothers.
the incredible storm in the prairies approaching… approaching…
no where to go… but into it
the incredible fossilized rock we found in a prairie field
the desert subtleness and bleakness
and my dad rescuing the school children and nuns from a flash flood in drumheller.
the desperate visit to the banff hot springs with my dad
the mountain forest… the elk… the nervy moose hanging out by the motel
and… the ocean…
as an adult i have now driven to the west coast… twice.
the first time in winter… and this time in the heat of summer…
both times alone.
i remember the journeys… the stories… the inbetween… more than the actual arrival.
but the arrival… is… just the new catalyst for the present journey… i’ve only touched down ever so briefly… with a long deep sleep… before engaging in the preparation for and participation in the world harp congress. caught in this moment between wanting to relish and exhale just a bit longer from my six day drive, and needing to get my fingers to strings and my mind focused on the music…
i am adjusting to having arrived…
at the far end of my journey’s bridge…
immersing myself now
in beauty… friendships… and music.
CODA: the frog is pretty delighted too… was getting a bit car sick through the mountains… much happier in the west coast wet-land.
and… a wee bit of advise should you make a similar trek across the country in summertime… do not… under any circumstance… look at the front grill of your car… take the long way around the back of your car when you stop for gas or lunch or a photographic moment… strategically avoid the front end… and when you do finally arrive at your destination… drive directly to a car wash… even consider two showers for her… and if, for whatever reason, you do, like i did, glance upon that front grill… know in your heart, that you are not a bad person.
Listening to the Inbetween 