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
Gary Snyder courtesy of Lannan Foundation
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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Rowan Kilduff is a dad, mountain-runner, and activist-artist. He writes on the connection between ecological and world peace; wilderness, urban wildlife, and forests, and he is the author of a few books, as well as various articles that appear in print and online. He lives in Central Europe, currently up and down between 49 and 52°N.
