The Joy of Walking

Vancouver May 2015

Walking lets me stay 

  under the broad sky 

    cloudy or clear. 

Walking lets me feel 

   the rain on my face, 

     a snow flake on my nose, 

       the wind combing my hair 

Walking lets me feel 

   the world of nature all around

    whether city or on the land. 

Walking lets me move a body

  that is part of nature 

   stiffened with the decades 

     but still walks a good clip 

walking has been my life 

  from morn til night 

    in my home or in the world

“Above all do not lose your desire to walk: every day I walk myself 

into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness;”

~ Søren Kierkegaard

Layered Life

Layers

Not for a cake 

each layer a story of life

a story of minutes, 

days, perhaps decades.

Spilled milk 

accolades 

achievements 

failures and 

taking risks

Climbing 

out of the muck 

swimming 

in clear or stormy waters. 

Tracing the dust beneath your feet.

“Live in the layers not on the litter.”

~ Stanley Kunitz

Cathedral Area Arts Festival

Sun warm

  light warm breezes 

   music filtered through the air

    vocalists, bag pipes and dancing

Walking, talking crowds filled

    13th Ave and two side streets 

     strolling past tented kiosks

      in front of open shops

All ages and manner of dress

 Loose flowing pants or skirts

  Shorts, big floppy hats

   Strollers with tots, sleeping or curious

   one or two dogs on leash and well mannered.

My only purchases: food.

  First stop - a chicken taco

    Second stop - a spring roll

      Third stop - scuffles, 

chocolate puffed wheat square, 

  and one cinnamon bun

    Last stop: a loaf of raisin sourdough bread

My other interests:

  Pottery  

   Jewellery

Nothing forced money from my wallet!

I walked about half of the entire length of 13th Ave 

  only one short foray into one of the side streets.

Time for home!

“We were a train full of strangers, and they were all the same.”

~ Cherie Priest, Dreadnought