Clean Sheet Coming

Two white spots
on Grouse Mountain
necklaced in lights...
as evening falls...
the other mountains stand
in bold and dark relief
under a grey sky...
Down in the valley...
people wait for
this limbo time
to be over...
for the New Year
to come quickly...
and give us all...
a clean sheet...
........Quester.

No Dancing For Me

Saddam's gone...
but no dancing for me...
Saw the Romanian dictator go too...
Never liked what either
of them did...
For me...it's just sad making...
that a life can come to that...
taking so many with it
before it goes...
Saddam's gone...
but no dancing for me......
Quester.

Frosty Morn

I walk on a cold morning...
Grass at sidewalk side
is silver green...
Under my feet...jewels glitter...
I tap the ground
with my walking stick...
it bounces back towards me...
frozenness is a hard thing...
But there's something about
a frosty morn...with the sun shining...
that's clean and clear...
and lifts me beyond
the clutch of winter...
towards the time of first flowers...
............................Quester.

Watch The Flowers Grow

[From song: "My Wish For You
Copyright-SOCAN]
Suddenly...the veil has fallen to the ground...
Suddenly...what was a phantom has been found...
Suddenly...what was a shadow turns to light...
And I can face the night...
Not have to hide away...
My wish for you is life will bring you...
To a place where time is sweet and slow...
So fight your wars and win your glory...
I'll stay behind and watch the flowers grow...
......................................Quester.

A Gift Upon The Wind

[From song "One More Chance"
cd of same title...Copyright-SOCAN]
"It's not just another morning...
It's another chance...
To do the work I'm meant to do...
To live...to love...to dance...
It's a gift upon the wind...
That blows in from the sun...
The pulse of life in everything...
To lead me 'til I'm done..."
....................Quester.

Peace To All

Am heading out to a family gathering shortly. Going to join with the good side of Christmas. Was thinking this morning that by tomorrow I should be able to go out into
the world...without being "jingle belled" to bits. I never liked that song...but I
remember an innocent time...when we sang "Silent Night" or "Little town of Bethlehem"...and it uplifted me and the others who sang it with me. These days...when
I listen to Christmas music in commercial establishments...I can't help thinking that
I'm being softened up to be in a better buying frame of mind. Anyway...we all know
about what is good about this season...and I'm glad that soon I'll be sharing that with
some people who feel the same. Peace to all.............Quesier.

Tree Of Hearts

Took this picture of leaves on a "Tree of Hearts"...as I call it. Was waiting for a
good time to use it. I feel that this time of year is it. For me "matters on the heart
plane" are what are important at this time of the year...people bringing their love for others to the fore. I myself don't feel that that is the same as getting into shopping frenzies to keep up with the Joneses etc. I think that spreading out the "heart plane"
activity over the rest of the year might be an idea in action...the world could do with. Peace to all...................Quester.

Poem: Between Clarity And Blindness

"I look out on
cloud swallowed mountain tops...
I know the mountains
are still there
even when I can't see them...
The game the mountains
and clouds play...
are so much like the way
I skitter between clarity
and blindness...
with only faith in the force
to help me through..."
..............Quester.

In The Absence Of Shopping

The newscasts have been trumpeting that today has been "the busiest retail sales day
of the year". Good to know they're right on top of "the true meaning of Christmas".
For me it was a quiet day free from frenzies and crowds. I have a sense that...that's
how it's going to be for me...for the nexr few days. It's an interesting thing...
watching cultural beliefs at work. In the meantime...I wish everyone a peaceful holiday...as I always do...........Quester.

Poem: Living With The Rain

"Crystal snakes
heading down and down
my wet window...
Mountains almost lost
in late morning mist...
but I have conjured up
the verse of a song...
deep talked to a friend
on the phone...
and made myself a cup
of Red Rose tea...
There are ways of learning
to live with the rain,,,
on this coast of mountains...
while leaving the television
alone...
....................Quester.

Clouds Are

"Clouds are
like mistresses
drawn towards
the mountain
their master...
in the ancient marriage
of the ever changing...
and the always the same..."
...................Quester.

Eagle Soul

"You are not a scare crow
waiting for the wind to come...
You're an eagle soul
and your flight's not done...
Soon you'll rise above the mountains
so far down below...
Wondering why you let them stop
where you would go..."
..............Quester.

People Meeting

Just returned from attending a poetry reading tonight. It was a mixed bag for me.
The fine side for me...as it usually is at these gatherings is I met again and chatted with some people I like. I heard a few fine poems...also some pompousness, and long
winded-ness. On balance...however I would say it was a good evening...people meeting
and sharing, who like each other usually tends to make it that way...........Quester.

Poem: Like My Mountain

"I am like my mountain...
sometimes shrouded
in grey mists...
separated from the sun
as if it never existed...
Sometimes clothed
in spring green...
its beauty revealed
in April shine...
But essence of mountain...
essence of me...always there...
though sometimes unseen...
A flame unflickered
by circling clouds...
or winds out of
the clear blue sky..."
..............Quester.

Der Totempfahl von Kitsilano

I have rediscovered a text book used in schools in Switerland...in which two of my songs are included. The words of both songs are given in English,,,and then in German.
Never thought I'd see the day...but in this book this verse: "Totem pole of
Kitsilano...You're circled by the city war...But still you stand so tall and straight...I wish your land was only green...under the evening star".
Becomes: "Totempfahl von Kitsilano...Du bist umkreist vom Citykreig...Aber noch stehst du hoch und gerade...ich mochte [two dots above the "o"], dein Land bliebe
immer grun [two dots above the "u"]...Unter dem Abendstern". This...of course...gives
the song a whole new slant for me. I respect the language it has been translated into
but I'm happy I don't have to sing this version.....................Quester.

Moon Singer

[From poem: "Moon Singer"]
"The moon singer sings now...
only for the valleys
and the mountains...
The moon singer sings now...
only for the rivers and the ocean...
The moon singer sings now...
only for the blue...blue night
and the high white moon...
Never more will the moon singer sing
his unstoppable soul song...
for those who lie sleeping
and indifferent too long...
down in the black and yellow city below..."
..................................Quester.

Wild, Wild Flowers

[From song "Wild, Wild Flowers
Copyright-SOCAN]
Upon this field of yellow grass
and shrivelled buds upon the vine...
I watch the scattered remnants of
a season I must leave behind...
And who am I to shed a tear
as if I were the only one
Who passed this way without a thought
to how soon it would be gone...
Teach me your secret
of dancing through each precious day...
Wild, wild flowers
befores you fade away...
................Quester.

A Piece Of Organic Action

I've been living in my apartment now for nine years...one of the longest stretches I've
spent anywhere. In those nine years...the contents of my home...has increased day by
day...and year by year. For some reason...however...in that same span of time...my
apartment has not increased in size by one cubic inch!. The effect of that disparity...
is...of course...the creation of a recipe for clutter. For some time now...a feeling
has been growing in me...that I would feel wonderfully liberated...if where I lived...
had next to no furniture...or stuff in closets and on shelves. It's been an organic thing...growing and growing in me. Earlier tonight...I started moving things out of my
bed room...which has been a storage room...for bundles of clutter. There are...for
instance...several machines...that have been placed near my front door...perhaps I might even give them each...one more test...something tells me...that they are the
vanguard of an outward bound procession...of things deemed not really necessary for
my survival. Tonight's start...was almost involuntary...although I don't have a clear objective...we'll have to see where this piece of organic action leads me....Quester.

In The Absence Of Empathy

"Sometimes...people's empathy
can be buried so deep
under their self absorption...
they may hear the words
others are saying...
and respond briefly
and superficially...
but miss the ramifications
of what is being said...
in the absence of empathy...
compassion has a way
of hiding away..."
..........Quester.

What You Reveal

"If you need...
to gossip
about someone absent...
to make yourself
feel superior
to him or her...
all you may be
actually showing instead...
is your own
inferiority..."
.......Quester.

Santiago in September

[From song: "Santiago in September"
CD "Through Arawak Eyes" Copyright-SOCAN]
Time to laugh...time to dance...
Time for jubilation...
Time to join hands and sing...
We are all of the same nation...
But the grey guns speak...
And the chains appear...
And the blood flows red and free...
And freedom is a wounded thing...
Dying once more on a tree...
....................Quester.

Missed Days

Just noticed...that today is Saturday...and my last posting was on Thursday...I had
missed posting something...for the first day...in a long time!. I had intended on Friday to do a late post...but became otherwise preoccupied. Perhaps it's just as well.
I once wrote a song called..."Let Go of Perfection"...which is about what its title implies. Posting something every day...has become what I would call..."a good daily
habit". Today I'm reminded that "good daily habits" do not mean that you become a
hamster with your feet stuck in your wheel. Missing a day...may be a blessing in disguise. Next time...the one thing I hope I can do better...is to plan my "missed
days" better than I did this one.............Quester.

Unboring Myself

I once designed a poster with the caption..."And the Eleventh Commandment is Thou Shalt
Not Be Boring". This thought came out of seeing that we human beings had been given so
many potentials...especially the creative one...not to mention our imaginations...that
if we activated them...we would have no need to join in with the wail heard across the
land..."I'm bored!'. It is true that many situations we find ourselves in as we live
life...appear in and of themselves to be boring...but we still carry the power in
ourselves to "unbore" ourselves. Today...with the heavy gloom in the skies...and my own
energy low...is a perfect time for me to be bored to bits. I'm hoping that writing this...reminds me that I have it in me to unbore myself...although at first glance today...that is not very apparent. Anyway...I hope writing this post...unbores me for
a while...after I've posted it................Quester.

Poem: Forever Faithful

"Forever faithful...
she who never
leaves me...
the one who helps me
make it through the night...
The one my hands
have caressed
so many times
as she nestled against me...
My guitar...
in a black case...
across the yellow floor...
waits for me..."
........Quester.

Changes Of Pace

Today...instead of the writing I usually do...first thing in the new day...I decided
I needed a "change of pace"...and went shopping for some clothing. Came home with...
two fleece lined vests...and a pair of pyjamas. I justified their purchase...although
I am thinking about clearing out extraneous stuff from my home. I've been aware for a long time...that we keep our homes cluttered...with all kinds of items we may not really need...including too much clothing. Hopefully I will get some good usage from
today's acquisitions...before I move them on. Anyway...it was a change of pace...and
I've just finished my writing session for the day. Hopefully...my "changes of pace" up
ahead...will be less expensive...and more creative............Quester.

Stories Of Our Lives

Recently I've been looking at some of the stories of my life. Some are yet to be
"written up"...and others are already written. I am glad I wrote some of them down...
years ago...given that some of them would be hard to recall now...that for instance... I put down...twenty years ago. I edit them as I type them into my computer file. It's
funny about editing...go back to something you wrote and edited a while before...and
you'll still find yourself editing it. Each human life is full of stories...recalling
them...and then telling them in a way that works well...are two of the challenges involved in telling the stories of your life. I've kept a daily journal for some years
now...in which many of my stories are written up...locating them from in there...is a large challenge in itself. I actually like writing about very distant events...if I can
remember the kernel of them. With no other source material...than what's in your memory
of them...you can then get into your ability to fill in the blanks...letting your
"inner story teller" come to the fore. Here's to telling the stories of our lives!...
..................Quester.

Pushing Past The Grey

Crows caucussing
on white roof tops...
Black on white
preferable to
unrelenting shades of grey
on top of each other...
trying to paint my mind
into a corner...
Sometimes...I grow weary
of doing a Houdini
out of what surrounds me...
but I know I must keep on
finding a way...
to travel on to tomorrow...
...................Quester.

Sharing From Experience

Today...noticing the sun was back...I went on a trip to the West End. At Bute and Davie ...I heard a female voice call my name. It was a young woman who organizes poetry gatherings I'd read poems or sang at. For some reason I sensed that she herself was going through some life difficulty and we began to chat. In our conversation...I found myself telling her about how idealism...accompanied by protracted intensity...could take a person to what I call "Holy Invalidhood"...i.e. how someone...with a very high ideal...who does not learn how to have changes of pace...and above all does not learn to back off from too much intensity on his or her path...can become an "invalid" from not managing their path wisely. I added that...having become that way...if you go stumbling and mumbling through the city streets...no one will say..."he's a mumbler and stumbler now...but that happened because of a great ideal!". I added that one of the best things that a person can do...is to become his or her own friend. After a while she said..."I've been drinking in what you've been saying...because you've been talking about me!"...I said then that I was only talking from my own experience living through the territory we were talking about. We parted warmly...and I had the sense that what I had shared...may
have helped her in some little way. I hope it did.............Quester.

In The Absence Of A Common Language

Recently returned from a late lunch at my favourite neighbourhood Chinese restaurant.
I was writing in my journal...after my meal...when the head of the family who own
and run the restaurant...a tiny likeable man...came over to my table and engaged me
in conversation. He was trying to convey a question he had in mind about existence...
and he kept using a word that sounded like "doh"...something about those who work hard and those who don't. Although he and his family are extremely hard working...I don't think he was trying to condemn anyone...he was just trying to get some feed back on a life question for him. Perhaps...because we had chatted before...and he had seen me scribbling in my journal many a time...he thought I might have an opinion on what he was trying to tell me. Sadly...because his grasp of English is limited...and mine of Chinese is nil...I never quite got what his life question was. I tried to make up for that by showing him I had empathy with him. I hope that helped. It must be very hard for people who do not really speak the language of the society they live in...to communicate their deeper and more complex thoughts and feelings. My hope is that although our verbal communication didn't work well...that when we parted he at least knew ...that "I was with him"....................Quester.