Broke out laughing on the subway deep in the bowels of Philadelphia a week or so ago. Kids had finally convinced me to load music into my iphone and I was listening to Beethoven’s Sixth as it ended and “shuffled” into Jimi Hendrix and 'All Along The Watchtower.' Yep, life in the big city for sure.
I was there with great purpose toward which was made significant progress along with interesting new friends. I enjoyed myself immensely as perhaps you could tell. Nonetheless, it was good to get home and empty my suitcase even though roommate and little black angel had made north.
To Marine on St. Croix, MN they’d traveled for the latest in an incredible succession of artist-in-residencies. Plan was for me to join them just a few days later, but I didn’t relish the thought of more time in the saddle so soon. Reports were very good however, and I lonely, so en route I went.
Seven hour traffic jam. Last two miles took one hour. I was furious and could only barely tone down my requests for directions to the off grid destination. “Jeesh, I’m going to have to do this again day after tomorrow to get home.”
“Don’t worry," she chuckled, "you’re going to love it!”
Finally there they were by the side of the highway, on an unsigned barely perceptible path, through the woods. Drove the mile in to a modest dwelling at the edge of a cliff looking over the St. Croix River. No sounds but us, the birds, and the bees. Been record hot at home, but got so cold that night we had to pull up the Hudson Bay. It was glorious.
In the middle of the night, when we get up
… we look at each other in
complete friendship, we know so fully
what the other has been doing. Bound to each other
like mountaineers coming down a mountain,
bound with the tie of the delivery room…
…surely this is the most blessed time of my life*
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
* From 'True Love' by Sharon Olds
