Peaks Island , Maine, USA
3:30pm 4/8/24
Archive of Jessica Townes George
Old Men Fishing From A Bridge
I saw old men fishing from a bridge.
Poles secured to the railing,
Five gallon buckets beside them.
Leaning on the railing
Staring at the water.
At the end of the bridge,
parked along the road were trucks
real trucks – Chevys Fords, Dodges,
for this was Maine.
The old men watched; the inflowing tide,
The ruffle of wind on the water,
The eddys of flowing water
The tide’s slow rise.
They listened to the tern’s cries,
the eiders murmurs,
the water’s musical flow,
the wind’s voice.
Fishing is easy, catching a fish is hard,
Learning to fish is even harder.
The fisherman’s hands tell of the lessons
callouses on thumb, scars
from hook or spines
muscles on the wrist and arm
(from casting and reeling)
And his face, red and peeling nose,
squinting eyes,
Weather darkened skin.
But none of these show the fisherman’s
Great lesson.
Patience!
waiting for opening day
the tide to change
the weather to clear
the wind to drop
the temperature to rise or fall.
Then!
The squawking terns!
The swirling flashing water
moves closer!
Within casting distance!
Patience is repaid!
This day, beside the gray haired fisherman
A young boy, a grandson,
jerks his pole and reels,
reels in with young, happy arms.
A mackerel.
To be admired
By seven old men.
The lesson has started.
It’s easy to fish
harder to catch a fish,
harder still to learn how to fish.
Water must be watched,
and birds, and wind, and the weather.
A fisherman must learn time and tide,
must learn from squinting
into the sun or rain.
Must learn there is always tomorrow,
another tide, another bridge,
or next season.
But mostly a boy
Learns of patience.
The patience of old men
Fishing from a bridge.
William R. Hinderer
Peaks Island, Maine
2009
A year ago April 6 we welcomed the shell to our shelter, built out to our specifications by Hill View Mini Barns in Gray. It is the anniversary of it being delivered to the island for me to finish the interior. here are some before and after images.
Floor, wall, bunks, countertop space, closet, plants, food, 5gallon water jug, instruments and clothes , dog, child and mother later. We have a really decent space!
Transforming personal space. Form follows function. Thank you to those who have helped support this effort of building affordably and sustainably to live and learn from. Thank you to all who have shared water and electricity with us.
Now to finish the ceiling of this sanctuary, and moving to our own property where we can drill a well and continue to develop a larger design plan of sustainable homesteading.
At one point in time twenty years ago I bought a hardcover compilation book of Joni Mitchell poems off eBay and read them. The other day I heard Coyote on the radio for the first time and looked up Hejira . Takes me a while to get a full sense of things . Have made it this far . blue album next . Ladies of the canyon after that .
https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-story-behind-joni-mitchell-song-coyote/
“what is to give light must endure burning”
Viktor Frankl
Recovering from Injury, resting.
Excerpt from 36. Darkening of the Light.
“darkening” can also refer to an outer situation in which it would be dangerous or unwise to display one’s clarity of vision or to say the truth. The person who is in touch with his clarity and common sense, holds to what is correct by saying the inner no, and by refusing to become involved in the external circumstance. He then asks for help from the helpers to take care of the situation, and turn the matter over to them.
This contrasts with the solution offered by the collective ego, which would counsel the valiant defender of the truth to come forward to say what he thinks needs to be said, regardless of the circumstances.”
-Carol K. Anthony , Hannah Moog
Releasing Tension
Morning Meditation
Proceeding
Slowly and quietly
In solitude,
working on positive
In real life communication
Getting strength to return
No meetings
Good Morning.