The Lake: a video reading of a short story

'The Lake' is a short story I wrote in 1987. I just learned how to use the web cam my son gave me so I tried it out. It worked the first time.

Form Without Form

(Click on highlighted text and photograph)



(title from verse 35 of the Tao Te Ching)

I’m not a follower or a leader.
I’m not a believer,
or a patriot paying with his blood
to play someone else’s game.

All explanations for life are false:
to see the sky,
hear the surf,
or peer into your eyes
is enough.

An Afternoon At Sunset Beach

(click on photographs to enlarge them)

One of the nice things about the beaches on the North Coast of Oregon is that it's difficult to find them crowded. Oh there's times when you'll find more people than you want to be with. But most times there's no trouble finding yourself by yourself and alone with your thoughts.



But you might want to bring someone.









I found this creature heading west. I assumed it is a caterpillar and have no idea what it thinks its doing.









I suppose it could be some sort of creature I have never seen before but it looks like a caterpillar to me. Anyhow I followed it for a long time and it kept right on headed toward the ocean.



It eventually turned back, or else I got tired of watching it. The tide was going out faster than it was moving and if its goal was the ocean I could see I didn't have the time to wait. I left it there with the sea gulls.

Canada Geese

(click on highlighted texts and photos)

I saw the familiar ‘V’ passing overhead
and heard their broken woodwind voices.
I’ve watched them in New York for most of 62 years.
Today they were in Oregon with me.

Their destination is the same as always,
and some will fall on the way.
They can’t know I am flying with them.

Some Thoughts I Got From A Common Slug

(Click on highlighted text and photo.)

I was on the way across the street to the duck pond when I saw this fantastically beautiful creature right in front of the garden gate. The morning sun was shining on him as
he was going about his business being a slug. Click the highlighted 'slug' for an Oregon Public Broadcasting video interview with the 'Slug Lady'.

The majority of people regard these creatures as pests. I believe this is indicative of a particular view promoted by western civilization based on a faulty starting place in the thinking process. Click here to find what I regard as the proper starting place to begin thinking about ourselves and our place in the universe.


My thoughts on the slug I found at my gate.

Here he and she is. He and she is the right designation because slugs are hermaphrodites. And he and she is going about his and her business doing slug stuff.

From a parochial human point of view that business involves destroying 'my garden'. Which is a very nearsighted view. This nearsightedness is an all to common human tendency. That concept is explored in the highlighted links above.

The conventional approach that exemplifies the traditional western philosophy of regarding oneself and ones environment is basically that of domination and subduing. Slash, burn, conquer and if deemed necessary destroy.

There is another way to consider the relationship humans have with the earth. It's described in this brief video.


Enjoy our slug today. The ducks across the street will find him tasty. Which is the way it should be. The coyotes in the hills often come and grab a duck at night. Which is the way it should be. Someday I'll be unable to walk out my gate; which is the way it should be.

Enjoy our slug today.

Reflections On Indra's Net

Reflections on Indra’s Net





(Click on highlighted text and photographs for greater detail.)




When I look down I know
there’s not much time left,

you’re wasting away in front of your bowl
while you look up into my eyes.













In my mind I hear you say: “I'm leaving.”
Stooping to pet your head

you purr and I say out loud:
“We’ve been together to long for me to let you go alone.”

It Has Nothing to Do With The Coffee

(Click on the photos.)


It Has Nothing to Do With The Coffee


You woke me.
All night the bench was hard
and I had to move to the scrub pines three times
when headlights shined down the prom.
The sun is warm now
and I don’t have to move no matter who comes.




It’s a beautiful day
though I did wish I could have
the remainder of the coffee you
threw in the trashcan next to me
while you were speaking into your phone
to someone in Portland about being on vacation
and how ‘they’ could go fuck themselves.

I didn’t feel bad for you even after a pause
when you said: “I’ll be there this afternoon god damn it.”
It has nothing to do with the coffee,
I can get their cans.

What Are You Waiting For?

(Click on the highlighted texts.)


What Are You Waiting For?


Death,
I can hear your footsteps on the porch.
Don’t bother to knock,
come right in.