"I am not one who was born in the custody of wisdom. I am one who is fond of olden times and intense in quest of the sacred knowing of the ancients." Gustave Courbet

09 May 2010

Happy Birthday Gary Snyder


Saturday was Gary Snyder's birthday.

His work has changed my life.

We are free to find our own way
Over rocks—through the trees-
Where there are no trails. The ridge and the forest
Present themselves to our eyes and feet
Which decide for themselves
In their old learned wisdom of doing
Where the wild will take us. We have been here before.
It’s more intimate somehow
Than walking the paths that lay out some route
That you stick to,
All paths are possible, many will work,
Being blocked is its own kind of pleasure,
Getting through is a joy, the side-trips
And detours show down logs and flowers,
The deer paths straight up, the squirrel track
Across, the outcroppings lead us on over.
Resting on tree trunks
...
From Off The Trail

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