Visiting ZenRiver Gardens
I am glad to do a poetry presentation at the PurdyFest event and camped at ZenRiver Gardens. My family enjoyed the visiting and had a good time. I wrote this poem as a tribute to the Host Chris Fairers and other poets…
I also chose some nice photos for ZenRiver Gardens to match the poem in Haiku Seqence.
Visiting ZenRiver Gardens
I also chose some nice photos for ZenRiver Gardens to match the poem in Haiku Seqence.
Visiting ZenRiver Gardens
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| upon a bridge prayer flags sway Chris’ smiling waves pulling over my car John’s welcome repels mosquito’s bite |
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| among fresh trails Chase tours us through a flowery bank |
 on the new-mown fieldsparse tents overlook starry nights |
  river ripplesJim’s chants flicker an oil lamp |
| a firecracker bursts into the sky good night settles  away from citiessilence fills in… Jason’s soft snoring roll to my side — my son, soundly |
 still in a dreamthe Zen River Garden in twilight woodpeckers call break the morning mist a bridge to the fore |
Slideshow
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Poetry Gallery
1 comment:
Hi Anna,
Thanks for this email - I immediately posted it on my blog, Riffs and Ripples from ZenRiver Gardens.
Many thanks for making this PurdyFest such a success and so much fun : ) And I'm so pleased you and your family enjoyed your visit to ZenRiver.
Your presentation at the symposium was professional and entertaining - two things which don't always go together in a somewhat academic format.
I'm thrilled to be able to post your vivid poems and pics so quickly after events! ... I suspect there are a number of PurdyFesters and friends who couldn't make it to this year's functions, and who were curious how things went. This posting answers those questions.
I hope you and Jack and Jason return next summer for PurdyFest #6 - who knows what topic Terry will choose over the winter months.
Today I took Jim Larwill and Simon and Melanie to Callahan's Rapids Conservation Area. I've been trying to get them to visit this beautiful site for several years, and today we finally made it there. We waded the hundred and fifty yards or so across the Crowe River above the rapids, and then we hiked upstream about 1 1/2 miles to the old railroad bridges crossing the river at the north end of the park.
I lost a water shoe, and while trying to retrieve it, Chase was swept up by the current and had to madly swim to the other shore, improving his aquatic prowess!!!
Mel took lots of pics of our adventures (not sure if she got a shot of a panicked Chase swimming like crazy). I found one of my old 'shaman sign' tree carvings, and Larwill gave an impassioned shaman incantation on the spot. Then we found the 'shaman in a spirit boat' natural rock etching I'd discovered years before. We hope Mel's pics of all these magickal symbols turn out OK.
When we reached some huge old boulders stranded on the edge of the river (these are called "erratics", left over from the glaciers), Simon suggested we do a group meditation, which we did for almost half an hour. Larwill lured in a mysterious gold fish, which ended up nibbling his toes.
Then the final ZRG camping crew invited me to a delicious campfire dinner, which will probably be our farewell party as well. Neighbour Dan joined us, and we toasted his birthday.
Tomorrow Simon and Mel plan to visit Bon Echo Provincial Park and inspect the First Nations pictographs painted on the impressive cliffs.
Which reminds me, did you enjoy your family's visit to the Petroglyphs Provincial Park on your return drive to Toronto? Four of us visited last year before PurdyFest, and we were all profoundly affected.
Thanks again for making this such a great fest,
peace & poetry power!
Chris & Chase (wrooooooooof - thanks for the great pic of me and my summer trim) ... and the rest of the PurdyFest and Malone gangs
p.s. and thanks again for the great chicken wings : )
Begin forwarded message:
From: anna yin
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