At 2000 m approximately
we leave the trees behind,
or they just send us on
our merry way.
At almost 2500 m
the air is thin, the sun burns
and we can see glaciers,
which is reassuring if
it was not so clearly visible
that they used to be
much larger.
The mountains in summer. I remember one of the first times I touched snow in summer. We were on one of the passes between Switzerland and Italy, the Great St Bernard Pass, and I had a snowball fight with my friend Eric. It was fun. And special.
Years, decades actually, later I wanted to share that fun with my kids. We failed. There was no snow on the Great St Bernard Pass that summer. We had to find it elsewhere. Higher up the mountains.
The mountains in summer still impress. Especially when you see the mountain that dominates the alps from almost anywhere you stand: the Mont Blanc.
I hope in a few decades, the snow will be back in the Great St Bernard Pass. And on bigger parts of the Mont Blanc.
Something to listen to
Last week we published a pantoum poem by Bob Metivier. I created one that was published in his substack. You can listen to Ink of connection here:
Elif Shafak is one of my favourite writers. And a wonderful source of inspiration when it comes to what I hope to achieve with my poetry, and with sharing the poetry of others. To build on an idea she shares in this TED talk: let’s learn to have empathy from those who are polarising. By sharing what I see, and sharing what others see, I hope to contribute to a better understanding of the other. More empathy for the other. And with that, to a kinder world. But… Elif Shafak says it so much better. Listen:
This month no new playlist. I’m trying something new. I’m sharing a link to a song via Twitter everyday. Together, these tweets become a nice living playlist. Follow my Song Of The Day tweets.
Poetry elsewhere
We all need a guiding light sometimes. The best ones stay with us long after their batteries run out. This beautiful poem by Alex Price reminds us of that. Read The Forever Light.
Numbers. Money. Distribution of wealth. Numbers. If you are bigger than numbers, or if you are not, this poem is for you: I’m bigger than numbers. Also if you just want to read something amazing that includes found poetry. Don’t forget to subscribe to this wonderful substack, too.
In the metaverse, the space of web3, the world of crypto and NFTs, we choose our own identities. Real-name usage is not the norm in this brave new technology-driven world, and that takes some getting used to. On the other hand, using pen names for a myriad of reasons is not a new phenomenon. It has been done for ages. Having said all that, one of my poet-friends is publishing their work as NFTs under such a modern pen name. Their work is often about the darker side of life. This poem, Sin Lux, is no exception. Press play on this beautiful multi-media piece of poetry.
I grew up in the shadow of Mt. Hood. I really miss having it in my life. Such a calm/steadying presence!
This piece feels so special. I would love to visit the mountains someday!