Day One
I arrived at a place I have not been in over a decade. By returning, I mark time and I mark transformation. It’s such a gift to see how I have changed. We are asked these questions, fed this poetry. I am deeply nourished.

Inquiry

  • Do I know what watershed I live near, which watershed I drink from and where the water flows?
  • How do I know I am being respected?
  • How do I know I am being loved?
  • What boat might I be missing?
  • What track am I digging for?

Missing the Boat
by Naomi Shihab-Nye

It is not so much that the boat passed
and you failed to notice it.
It is more like the boat stopping
directly outside your bedroom window,
the captain blowing the signal-horn,
the band playing a rousing march.
The boat shouted, waving bright flags,
its silver hull blinding in the sunlight.
But you had this idea you were going by train.
You kept checking the time-table,
digging for tracks.
And the boat got tired of you,
so tired it pulled up the anchor
and raised the ramp.
The boat bobbed into the distance,
shrinking like a toy—
at which point you probably realized
you had always loved the sea.

Naomi Shihab Nye Different Ways to Pray
Breitenbush Publications, 1980

Day 2’s Reflection, Inquiry and Poem to come …