Selections from “New Songs” and “Camino del Viento”

Featured image: Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, CA, courtesy of NPS

By Rowan Kilduff

 

clear — the mountaineer; climber at 90

clear — the mountaineer: mountain-mind, river-mind
sky-mind
practical mind;
trail or off-trail — you let it surprise you, climber at 90
working with friends, working alone; getting old doesn’t matter,
just coming here to find the way home
clear-mind
straight and true —
fierce-compassion
fierce-gentleness
fierce-generosity
fierce-joy
fierce-livin’ — because out here you really can.

to protector of the wild and mountaineer Gary Snyder, 2020

right now, here; sunset

a
kestrel
gives
three sharp calls
right now.

 

swiftly, we go

Rivers
strummin’ full.

Lives like fire.
We all; one big sangha.
Wind light sings true.

 

sky prayer

sunrise hits you right in the eye

waves    /         rolling sky

meet

and there,         nothing dies.

here I am,

I breathe generations back
I breathe generations forward

the peaceful sky         washes me clean

call /   answer —

we breathe      and
breathe anew.

 

Rowan Kilduff

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