Adrift in the flow of it all, I barely know
when night turns her face to the sun
these days, so many springtime pursuits,
and there are streams that beckon, flowing
wildly as long as snowmelt from higher
altitudes drives water down the Borracha
Canyon into the settlement of Vallecitos
and beyond, gushing through pine forests
into rocky beds, nourishing the sandy soil
of this region, cascading over boulders,
turning corners along courses it has carved
over centuries and finally seeking greater
rivers, feeding into the Rio Grande,
wanting nothing so much as the sea;
How have people existed in arid regions,
remote as the end of this twisted mountain
road, high altitude limiting means
of sustenance, lumbermill shuttered,
cattle replacing sheep nearly a century ago
as predators continue scanning fields
for the young and weak; still, as in Hawai'i,
cows enjoy the most stunning outlooks, relaxing
in jaw-dropping scenery, at one with the ground
of the earth in a way humans might emulate,
resting when needed, wandering when prompted,
feeding as sacrament under the brilliance
of wide-open azure skies struck through
with migrating waterfowl, geese and egrets
and the occasional perennial triplet
of red-tailed hawks, ever circling,
thick wings outstretched as they soar
freely on thermals, variegated backs warmed
in the brilliance of our blessed star
the sun, savoring each moment until,
in a splash of fruit salad colors, his
flaring bald head flattens out before ducking
into the curve of purple hills while less
obvious luminaries, which have never gone
anywhere, take center stage in a backdrop
of endless black velvet as our portion
of the planet closes now into the chill
and perpetual revolution of the night.
Forest stream, Vallecitos, NM ~ bj 2023
Welcome moisture, the giver of life!
Indeed! So needed in these high desert regions! Decades of drought. 🙏🌹
You always paint such a beautiful picture of your landscape.
Hawks are magnificent, even scanning the world from the water tower a few buildings over, or soaring over the local park. They make the heart soar too. (K)
Thanks, Kerfe. Nature makes that part easy! And yes, agreed on hawks for sure. I have a friend who lives in Boston, and I have seen them there when I have visited her. So cool! 💕
Birds are threads that connect the world.
As are trees in their thread-y roots, I do believe! xoxo
Very true.
What a world you live in, stripped back to the bone! Amazing verses! 💌🙋♂️
Thank you, Ashley. I guess we don’t think of it that way, we just have always lived this way. Blessings! 🙏❤️
Wonderful!
Thanks, Paul! 🙏
Love the descriptions from different perspectives. This is a time for unbounded energy and growth. Embrace it all my friend 💐🙏🏻💖
Thanks so much, Val! Indeed it is a time for unbounded energy and manifesting (in Charles Eisenstein’s words) the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible! Embracing it is the only path forward, is it not? Thanks again, and blessings to you Val! 🌹🪴😘
🎉🙏🏻💖
Water … the giver of Life within us all… And it makes one think back how in times of old high in mountain area’s without water how they survived… We often take so many things for granted until it is scarce or too abundant that we are overwhelmed.
Your poetic muse captivated so much, in my minds eye Bela, as I was the Red Tailed Hawk flying on Thermals, and I was the babbling water rushing over stones on the riverbed..
Beautifully written and Loved your picture image…
I hope all things are growing well,… And yes not enough hours in the day this time of year for sure..
Sending Love and Hugs dear Bela.. <3
Thanks, Sue! We are now experiencing hail and/or rain ongoingly. And tho this might be typical spring weather elsewhere, last year this time we had forest fires everywhere. It is typically dry this time of year, and then we get monsoon rains end of July. I don’t know about other mountain areas’ histories, but on this mountain, there was an abundance of snow which melted and fed the abundant rivers and streams. Northern New Mexico has been in drought for nearly 20 years. I’m wondering if this year is making up for it! Which is fine by me, actually. I just asked mother nature to please take it easy on the hail today, I had just planted $150 worth of flowers and other perennials including roses, spread sheep manure and mulch. I am grateful that it did ease off and didn’t blast everything out of the ground! A 90 year old friend in Santa Fe said they were having hail the size of marbles. And recently there was a storm in Texas with golf ball sized hail.
I agree of course, things have gotten ridiculously out of balance. When we came here though, I was visualizing a lake in the field below our house. Chris and I have a Venus Mars conjunction in Taurus, and we are pretty good manifestors for mother Earth. I wondered if we had been sent here to bring balance back to the area. Again, fine by me, especially if I can create beautiful gardens outside! So when everything is lush and full, I will post photos. To imagine that this was once just high desert sandy soil is pretty inconceivable. But the previous owner definitely gave the landscape a boost, planting trees that we saw fairly mature by the time we got here, and creating raised beds. Everything looked neglected, and now it’s just amazing! So carry-on, my friend! I love what you’re doing and appreciate that you recognize what we’re doing here! Sending you big love! 💕