I opened a poetry anthology to the index and this title jumped off the page. It has been an eventful week. I settled into Spokane including a place to lay my head this fall. When I come here, I find I feel I am in community. It was word-of-mouth that led me to the apartment I will have. One person told me to check with another who referred me to another and eventually the circle was complete.
When I am here, I drop some screen time with no television. I turn my computer on and listen to CKUA the greatest little radio station in the world.
I need to settle into a regime now to tackle the reading, writing, and research that is around the corner. Gonzaga has excellent to a beautiful river walk to the Spokane Falls and Riverfront Park which I visited in its heyday. Spokane hosted the World’s Fair in 1974 and I was in Nelson BC then and came down with friends.
The river walk is a great place to let my brain relax, my mind to expand, and physically be invigorated. Last summer, as I walked, I found my poet’s voice and I am counting on that happening again over the next couple of weeks. I regain my soul in nature as William Stafford so eloquently puts it. When we got to Waterton, it was dragonflies over Red Rock Canyon that were my white butterflies.
Come down Canyon Creek trail on a summer afternoon
that one place where the valley floor opens out. You will see
the white butterflies. Because of the way shadows
come off those vertical rocks in the west, there are
shafts of sunlight hitting the river and
a deep long purple gorge straight ahead. Put down your pack.
Above, air sighs the pines. It was this way
when Rome was clanging, when Troy was being built,
when campfires lighted caves. The white butterflies dance
by the thousands in the still sunshine. Suddenly, anything
could happen to you. Your soul pulls toward the canyon
and then shines back through the white wings to be you again.
Teacher as Transformer 
You are so right the environment plays a major role in a person’s creativity. I and my hubby have a vacation home in the surrounding area where you have moved. It is a quiet and beautiful place. I often say to my hubby that this place is “far from the madding crowd”. So calm serene and peaceful, unlike Vancouver which is a bustling with life place. Good luck and best wishes for the creative endeavor. I am sure you will enjoy every moment. Take care. Thanks for sharing a lovely post.
You are welcome and thank you for the lovely comment.
My pleasure.
Lovely….I’m looking forward to your future posts! Thank you for sharing.
Barb
Thank you Barb for passing this post forward. It is appreciated.
Reblogged this on barbsburnttree and commented:
This is a lovely post….I want to share it!
“…Your soul pulls toward the canyon
and then shines back through the white wings to be you again.”
Great lines. I pray you find peace in a smooth transition.
It is moving along well. Thank you Tony.
You’re going there by yourself? Your sweetie didn’t come with? Sorry if that’s nosy, but I’m wondering if I missed something.
I’m glad things are working out, one step at a time.
Nancy
Kathy is joining me next week. Summer always creates some scheduling challenges and this summer, with the floods in Alberta, our logistics were even more challenging than normal.
I really liked the poem, you expressed so eloquently how the white butterflies can make you feel you can do anything through their powerful beauty and existence.
Thank you. I agree William Stafford does bring the poem to life in a beautiful way that allows us to see and almost those butterflies.
Oh what beautiful words, Ivon. My heart is touched. Blessings.
Thank you Isabella.
It’s quite a transition, but it seems that all the doors are opening for you to get your research finalized! I left my doctoral studies half-way when I moved to work in Africa and have yet to finalize…the work that was to be my dissertation was published by UN many years ago…so if ever continuing, I’ll need a new topic 🙂 All the best with your journey and hopefully we can follow it here!
Thank you. I am glad your work, albeit unfinished, found its way forward.
what a poem! I wish one day I will be able to pen such a beauty!
Me too. The best poets are the best for reasons like this and William Staffard fall into that category. They touch something in our souls.
There is something special about these ‘find your soul’ moments. You can search for them for days or months or years. They creep up and find you in seconds.
You last line says it all. Parker Palmer says we need to sit, wait quietly, and our soul will find us.