Word Gatherer: Life in a Time of Saturn Rising

Thanks to the many little pep talks, encouragements, chidings, stories & praise, I finally made it out of car-stalling, moving purgatory & onto the wide highways!  (Also, I gave in to what is my newest addiction — it’s like myspace for writers & people who love books — goodreads.com)

The first night because we were behind schedule, we ended up driving through the night & ending up at my brother’s doorstop the next morning in St. Louis.  Since then, we’ve been visiting relatives in the Midwest ("the in-between" as one of my cousins put it at dinner last night) and doing random things like visiting the Oklahoma City memorial, going to the 50 cent movie theater in Dallas &, of course, watching my aunties at the buffet.  Harry Potter on tape has been getting me through the drive as well as an assortment of snacks my family prepared for us of the pickled and chopped variety.   My big uncle’s favorite activity has been teasing me (I’m reminded of all my boy cousins in Taiwan who used to make fun of me growing up, especially when the adults made us sit together & then observed us talking shit & gossiping), but I made the ultimate threat — that if you talk to a writer, you might end up being written about …

I’m still here and slogging through one of my least-favorite activities
in the world.  But the good news is that I’m 2 suitcases & 3
conversations fuller & a room emptier of clothes than at this time
yesterday.  Another day to go before we hit the road …

Here’s where we’re headed over 10 days — New York through Ohio to St.
Louis, Missouri; Oklahoma; Dallas, TX through Arizona to southern
California.

TODAY,
I AM THE REALIZATION of a full belly after my last lunch in the North
Country.  TODAY, I AM THE REALIZATION that I am too dependent on the
computer, waiting out the thunderstorms at the library.  TODAY, I AM
THE REALIZATION of an unraveled breath before reeling in, winding
back up to the real world.

I
AM BEING the patient eyes following Basho’s journey across the page.
I AM BEING aware of the sharp fresh rain wafting up out of the newly
bathed grass.  I AM BEING a witness to the heavy cry of
the waterfall plunging to its still death.

I
AM RELEASING the skirt the creature hiding in the drawer ate its way
through.  I AM RELEASING the spider who will not give up spinning its
web on the side of my car door.  I AM RELEASING my annoyance at shady
landlords.  I AM RELEASING my separation anxiety.  I AM RELEASING the
idea that I squandered precious time.  I AM RELEASING
my fear of squandering my time to pack when I return.

I
AM CREATING a new appreciation for what is possible to create from
the imagination.  I AM CREATING a sense of wonder at my body, a
magical living entity.  I AM CREATING a record of my
time in cottage 23, which I learned today is named Apple Blossom.

WHAT
I LOVE ABOUT MY LIFE is the chance to go out in the lake in the
Touhey’s Boston whaler and hear the stories of the people who live
next to the lake.  I LOVE that the local diner has a Webcam.  I LOVE
the high green dips of the Breadloaf campus.  I LOVE Arthur Sze and
his generosity as a teacher introducing me to the famous poets.  I
LOVE that I was able to tell three poets I was introduced to that I
had heard them read their work before.  I LOVE being able to say
proudly that I finished a manuscript.  I LOVE deciding to stay in.  I
LOVE spice tea and honey.  I LOVE reading a book in one day.  I LOVE
the shimmering water in the morning.  I LOVE setting mice free
outdoors.  I LOVE friends from afar who keep in touch.  I LOVE the
beauty of the waiting journal.  I LOVE the chubby book.  I LOVE books
of gratitude and appreciation.  I LOVE big, wide windows.  I LOVE
interfaith nature trails.  I LOVE memorialized poems in the forest.
I LOVE trail logs.  I LOVE guessing where boats have been.  I LOVE
knowing my way around.  I LOVE watching the farmland go by.  I LOVE
joining the Paden family.  I LOVE walks lit by moon and talking about
the trees.  I LOVE watching the thunderstorm cascade over my
windshield in the safety of my car.  I LOVE late night chats rolled
up in the warmth of five blankets.  I LOVE that it took over a year’s
worth of planning and effort to finally make it here.  I LOVE books
on tape.  I LOVE sneaking out in the middle of the community concert.
I LOVE tall tales of travels.  I
LOVE people excited to bring me adventure.  I LOVE postcard poems.  I
LOVE the idea of picnics on an uninhabited island.  I LOVE that Lake
Champlain sometimes feels like an ocean.  I LOVE being seized by a
great inspiration yet being able to say no.  I LOVE radical nerds.  I
LOVE that I made it through my month of quiet in the woods.  I LOVE
the anticipation of visiting a city with a main drag, ethnic
restaurants and coffeeshops.  I LOVE that other people around me in
different parts of my life are newly inspired to write haibun, like
it’s a bug you can catch.  I LOVE writing dream lunes with Tamiko.  I
LOVE receiving sweet well wishes from friends and acquaintances.  I
LOVE that driving through lush mountains will get me home.

I
CELEBRATE AND NURTURE my existence as a word recycler, receiving
inspiration, silver dreams and magic from those who came before.  I
CELEBRATE AND NURTURE my existence as a chameleon moving from
mountain to desert.  I CELEBRATE AND NURTURE my
existence as someone on the edge of her life willing herself to fly
forward and trust in the wind.