For those who read my Post with a poem - Shaman - last week, Meg, my remarkable wife and life companion, after several days of quiet reflection folded up her grief the way you fold a familiar set of clothes - storing them away - not forgotten or denied but put aside for another day.
Wonderful writing and a beautiful journey you took me on. The Tao of your experience and the flow you must of been in writing this shows. We don’t write often enough about this flow.
Well - I was thinking that of your own very beautiful Blue Glass post. It was a delight to read.
Yes - the flow .... It is such a delicate state to attain, and to maintain. Like watching a faint star, with your peripheral vision. If you concentrate to hard on "what I will write" - it disappears. You need to mentally look away, and defocus sometimes, then it comes flooding in...
Thanks, Dave for taking us to the pool with Meg and your family. Walking in 40° seems extraordinary! We used to jump off a rock north of Dar es Salaam into the sea back in the day. Take care, both of you.
You are welcome. We've been having a severe heat wave for the past week or two. Not too bad here - 40 degrees is bearable - but it hit 50 degrees in a couple of places in Soutrh Australia last week, and 48 - 49 in many others across inland Victoria, SA and WA.
That's deadly dangerous heat. Even in my years living in the desert I never saw anything past about 45. About 12 years ago Meg and I did hit insane temps while crossing the Nullarbor Plain. The car thermometer was giving an outside (in the sun) temp of 52 degrees - and we were camping out along the way!
omg. We stopped in the late afternoon at a tiny remote roadhouse which had aircon from a generator, and drank (very expensive!) cold drinks until nearly sunset, then we drove another hours or so till late dusk, and pulled off the highway to find a spot to camp in the scrub.
Even in a desert the temp does usually drop significantly once the sun sets, and a gentle breeze started after dark, so we had a very warm, but bearable, night under the stars....
Dar es Salaam !!! Wow.... so exotic... !!! :)
Jumping off cliffs into water is generally discouraged, for all the obvious reasons, but it can be quite safe if you check the conditions first - depth, snags, currents. My Daughter and Son in law trusted my judgement, and this is a place I know well.
I agree. Jumping off cliffs into water is hazardous if you don’t know what is in the depths! Years ago, on a history tour, dome kids went for a walk over the river near where we were staying and when I saw them on top of the cliffs threatening to jump, I went a tad ballistic!
Those temps are excruciating, Dave. I think i have experienced 44 before and could hardly cope myself. That was in France so I cannot imagine 52.
Yes, we lived in Dar for 18 months back in the early 60s. Now that was warm but helped by a sea breeze!
So so beautiful, Dave. Reading this felt like being cradled by that river. I love that Meg jumped in, and that you were there to buoy her after the fall x
She has been through so much. The 20 year journey with Sean is only a part of it. There are other things I have no permission to tell.
Meg has a fierce determination few people see. She is generally self effacing, quiet, unassuming - the least "pushy" person imaginable - but if she turns her mind to something important to her, she is remarkable.
The walk hurt her badly - and no-one wanted her to jump - but I kind of knew what was likely to happen.... Equally impressive was the fact that Meg jumped, knowing she would have to climb a steep cliff, one handed, to get out again.
Some day I may write the story of our sea adventure on the coast of Tanna, in the Vanuatu archipelago...
Yay for Meg … what a beautiful watery embrace, with you, and family - a river. Thank you for sharing, and the photos … the textures and colours. As tomorrow clocks 7 years since John’s passing, l too will head for a watery embrace of the briny variety with mother ocean. 🙏🌀❤️🩹🌊
It’s heartwarming to read about how Meg, despite her physical challenges, embraced the journey and the moment of joy with you and your family. The vivid descriptions of the rainforest and the waterfalls create a serene and magical atmosphere.
Thank you. I write from my heart - as do you also. My wonderful wife holds mine, and she has always lived her life bravely, in her own quiet and unobtrusive way. Rivers and rainforests are healing places. We both feel regenerated there, but sometimes it requires great effort to make the journey. It is a metaphor for life….
Thank you for your heartfelt message. Your words resonate deeply with me. It’s beautiful to hear about your wife’s bravery and the healing power of nature. I completely understand the effort it takes to reach those places, and it’s true how they mirror the journey of life. So glad to have connected with you, and following your journey !
You are more than welcome. I started publishing here on Substack as a trial, after a very long public silence (22+ years) in which I had ceased all publication. Very quickly, I found a warm and vibrant community of poets and other writers, artists and more... It was unexpected, and a delight. A poetic rebirth for me.
Thank you for such warmth and allowing me a little into your world. I am looking forward to following your journey, sharing, exploring and exchanging thoughts l.
It is a delight reading your work and getting to know you !
David... I came to Substack and this post after reading all the dreadful morning news and it felt like how you've described your journey...a hike in 40C ending with a healing splash into refreshing clear water. Love your description of family and walk and courage and nature. Lovely.
Time in nature is all that keeps me on a (relatively) even keel. I am fortunate to have a partner who feels likewise. This was a healing day, after a fairly tough time stuck in a city, when we wanted to be somewhere else...
Hope you are well. I will read your own latest post soon!
I feel at home in all the poems I’ve read of yours David.
Thank you for giving this poem shape, movement and space. It is completely immersive and you are such a generous man to share all the meaningful context that gives the poem even more depth.
You made my day when I read this yesterday. I did not reply at the time because we have only just returned home after months away, and I was distracted by jobs to do…
Today the sun has risen over the river, with a light breeze raising ripples in that ribbon of blue, and I rose early to watch that, and to catch up on reading.
Writing is a solitary experience. Some of what I share here is deeply personal but I share it here because the underlying experiences - love, sorrow, joy… are common to us all. It is a delight when someone connects with what I write.
After reading Shaman, this might be my favorite piece of yours. I like how you depicted Meg jumping in. It seems symbolic. Her strength after difficulty. Choosing to jump in. And the river poem. So much to like about this.
What a remarkable woman, Meg. And your love for each other. Your poem does justice to the river which sounds and looks magnificent. You write beautifully, Dave. On the other side of the equator, there is winter here. But I could almost imagine the 40 C heat and then the cool river lapping at me.
Oh my goodness- thank you for taking us there!!! More than awesome that Meg leaped in & your hand was waking for her… Good tears reading this. I know the feeling of those bubbles 🫧🫧🫧🫧🫧 Beautiful poem, love all the pics too
You are welcome my friend. Because we are so closely bonded, much of what is important to me is related to M. I write of those things largely for her, and then publish some of them - with her blessing - if it seems they may have meaning for others.
Though each specific instance is unique to each unique person and life, both love, and grief, are common to the human experience.....
If it seems to you that I express these things with grace, I am indeed delighted.
What an inspiring woman your Meg is, carrying weight, yet choosing to take the leap. And you, ready to guide her to the surface. Beautiful post David. Thank you. I have a serious thing for rivers and waterfalls.
Wonderful writing and a beautiful journey you took me on. The Tao of your experience and the flow you must of been in writing this shows. We don’t write often enough about this flow.
Hi my friend
Well - I was thinking that of your own very beautiful Blue Glass post. It was a delight to read.
Yes - the flow .... It is such a delicate state to attain, and to maintain. Like watching a faint star, with your peripheral vision. If you concentrate to hard on "what I will write" - it disappears. You need to mentally look away, and defocus sometimes, then it comes flooding in...
Best Wishes - Dave :)
beautiful balancing out.
Thank you dear Megan!
Best Wishes to you - Dave and Meg :)
Beautiful! 🙏
Thank you, dear Allegra.
Best Wishes - Dave :)
Thanks, Dave for taking us to the pool with Meg and your family. Walking in 40° seems extraordinary! We used to jump off a rock north of Dar es Salaam into the sea back in the day. Take care, both of you.
Hey Richard!
You are welcome. We've been having a severe heat wave for the past week or two. Not too bad here - 40 degrees is bearable - but it hit 50 degrees in a couple of places in Soutrh Australia last week, and 48 - 49 in many others across inland Victoria, SA and WA.
That's deadly dangerous heat. Even in my years living in the desert I never saw anything past about 45. About 12 years ago Meg and I did hit insane temps while crossing the Nullarbor Plain. The car thermometer was giving an outside (in the sun) temp of 52 degrees - and we were camping out along the way!
omg. We stopped in the late afternoon at a tiny remote roadhouse which had aircon from a generator, and drank (very expensive!) cold drinks until nearly sunset, then we drove another hours or so till late dusk, and pulled off the highway to find a spot to camp in the scrub.
Even in a desert the temp does usually drop significantly once the sun sets, and a gentle breeze started after dark, so we had a very warm, but bearable, night under the stars....
Dar es Salaam !!! Wow.... so exotic... !!! :)
Jumping off cliffs into water is generally discouraged, for all the obvious reasons, but it can be quite safe if you check the conditions first - depth, snags, currents. My Daughter and Son in law trusted my judgement, and this is a place I know well.
Best Wishes - Dave :)
I agree. Jumping off cliffs into water is hazardous if you don’t know what is in the depths! Years ago, on a history tour, dome kids went for a walk over the river near where we were staying and when I saw them on top of the cliffs threatening to jump, I went a tad ballistic!
Those temps are excruciating, Dave. I think i have experienced 44 before and could hardly cope myself. That was in France so I cannot imagine 52.
Yes, we lived in Dar for 18 months back in the early 60s. Now that was warm but helped by a sea breeze!
So so beautiful, Dave. Reading this felt like being cradled by that river. I love that Meg jumped in, and that you were there to buoy her after the fall x
:)
Thank you dear Rebecca!
She has been through so much. The 20 year journey with Sean is only a part of it. There are other things I have no permission to tell.
Meg has a fierce determination few people see. She is generally self effacing, quiet, unassuming - the least "pushy" person imaginable - but if she turns her mind to something important to her, she is remarkable.
The walk hurt her badly - and no-one wanted her to jump - but I kind of knew what was likely to happen.... Equally impressive was the fact that Meg jumped, knowing she would have to climb a steep cliff, one handed, to get out again.
Some day I may write the story of our sea adventure on the coast of Tanna, in the Vanuatu archipelago...
Best Wishes - Dave :)
Thankyou Rebecca !!
I have a torn rotator cuff of L shoulder …. But I figured pain goes in layers and wanted to jump…
(in case 🎶we may never pass this way again🎶) : Seals & Crofts, 1973
Yay for Meg … what a beautiful watery embrace, with you, and family - a river. Thank you for sharing, and the photos … the textures and colours. As tomorrow clocks 7 years since John’s passing, l too will head for a watery embrace of the briny variety with mother ocean. 🙏🌀❤️🩹🌊
Thank you, dear Simone
It was a perfect day, in a place of great peace.
I hope you too find peace, and connection with John, in the cool ocean tomorrow.
I will be thinking of you both.
Best Wishes - Dave
Thanks Dave, have a great day 🙏
“The river,
always flowing
is the long story,
a book of which we
read one word, barely.”
Beautiful and true! 💚
Ohhh.... rivers are endlessly fascinating. Rivers and the ocean...
I have written elsewhere that all water is the one water, part of the great hydrological cycle - of which we ourselves are each a tiny fragment....
D
It’s heartwarming to read about how Meg, despite her physical challenges, embraced the journey and the moment of joy with you and your family. The vivid descriptions of the rainforest and the waterfalls create a serene and magical atmosphere.
Dear Aaliya
Thank you. I write from my heart - as do you also. My wonderful wife holds mine, and she has always lived her life bravely, in her own quiet and unobtrusive way. Rivers and rainforests are healing places. We both feel regenerated there, but sometimes it requires great effort to make the journey. It is a metaphor for life….
Best Wishes - Dave
Dear Dave,
Thank you for your heartfelt message. Your words resonate deeply with me. It’s beautiful to hear about your wife’s bravery and the healing power of nature. I completely understand the effort it takes to reach those places, and it’s true how they mirror the journey of life. So glad to have connected with you, and following your journey !
With love
Aaliyah
Dear Aaliyah
You are more than welcome. I started publishing here on Substack as a trial, after a very long public silence (22+ years) in which I had ceased all publication. Very quickly, I found a warm and vibrant community of poets and other writers, artists and more... It was unexpected, and a delight. A poetic rebirth for me.
I look forward to reading more of your own work.
Best Wishes - Dave :)
Thank you for such warmth and allowing me a little into your world. I am looking forward to following your journey, sharing, exploring and exchanging thoughts l.
It is a delight reading your work and getting to know you !
David... I came to Substack and this post after reading all the dreadful morning news and it felt like how you've described your journey...a hike in 40C ending with a healing splash into refreshing clear water. Love your description of family and walk and courage and nature. Lovely.
Thank you my friend.
Time in nature is all that keeps me on a (relatively) even keel. I am fortunate to have a partner who feels likewise. This was a healing day, after a fairly tough time stuck in a city, when we wanted to be somewhere else...
Hope you are well. I will read your own latest post soon!
Best Wishes - Dave :)
I feel at home in all the poems I’ve read of yours David.
Thank you for giving this poem shape, movement and space. It is completely immersive and you are such a generous man to share all the meaningful context that gives the poem even more depth.
Divine, thank you 🤩
Ohhh… dear Lois….
You made my day when I read this yesterday. I did not reply at the time because we have only just returned home after months away, and I was distracted by jobs to do…
Today the sun has risen over the river, with a light breeze raising ripples in that ribbon of blue, and I rose early to watch that, and to catch up on reading.
Writing is a solitary experience. Some of what I share here is deeply personal but I share it here because the underlying experiences - love, sorrow, joy… are common to us all. It is a delight when someone connects with what I write.
Thankyou…
D :)
After reading Shaman, this might be my favorite piece of yours. I like how you depicted Meg jumping in. It seems symbolic. Her strength after difficulty. Choosing to jump in. And the river poem. So much to like about this.
Thank you, dear Mai.
Her strength is hidden, and appears in time of need..
Best Wishes - Dave :)
What a remarkable woman, Meg. And your love for each other. Your poem does justice to the river which sounds and looks magnificent. You write beautifully, Dave. On the other side of the equator, there is winter here. But I could almost imagine the 40 C heat and then the cool river lapping at me.
Hey dear Naz
It is a truly serene and delectable place to be - especially on a hot day.
M is indeed remarkable, in the quietest of ways.
(I can't list them all here),
but so are you
surely.
D :)
Oh my goodness- thank you for taking us there!!! More than awesome that Meg leaped in & your hand was waking for her… Good tears reading this. I know the feeling of those bubbles 🫧🫧🫧🫧🫧 Beautiful poem, love all the pics too
Hi dear Marjorie
My thanks. It was the perfect place to wash away sorrow. We had a wonderful day.
Best Wishes - Dave :)
Thank you once again for taking me on a journey through a foreign environment, a stranger’s history, with such grace.
You are welcome my friend. Because we are so closely bonded, much of what is important to me is related to M. I write of those things largely for her, and then publish some of them - with her blessing - if it seems they may have meaning for others.
Though each specific instance is unique to each unique person and life, both love, and grief, are common to the human experience.....
If it seems to you that I express these things with grace, I am indeed delighted.
Dave :)
Some lines in response, from Ontario, Canada where we are having a winter like the days of old as the Arctic bleeds down upon us:
As I walk through the frozen landscape
Gaze out over the solid surface of the bay
The only evident flow
Birdsong celebrating the bright sun
I notice the flow of my body
Ever moving, ever flowing
Through and around its challenges
Ah!
Wonderful, Trish....
The water within us is wisdom, if we let it teach us.
Water in all of its forms is instructive. Frozen water also.
I seldom see that, living here. I have to travel, but here is an example:
https://davidkirkby.substack.com/p/chamonix?r=471m47
What an inspiring woman your Meg is, carrying weight, yet choosing to take the leap. And you, ready to guide her to the surface. Beautiful post David. Thank you. I have a serious thing for rivers and waterfalls.
Ah! She is remarkable.....
If you love waterfalls, Alegria, as I do too, you might enjoy:
https://davidkirkby.substack.com/p/what-the-water-said?r=471m47
All about water, falling......
D :)
Thanks very much David. I’m saving that to read later. Thanks for sharing.
Here’s one I wrote a while ago. Hope you like it.
https://open.substack.com/pub/alegriaderose/p/do-you-want-to-know-what-it-feels?r=4rykoe&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay