mermaidcamp

Outside Influences

July 19, 2024

Conditions surround every move

A startling number of circumstances

Remain obscured, plastered over by guilt

Stars do not illuminate a single possibility

Should we invest in this unclear vision

We may discover that the path

Has been washed out by fantastic goals

The never suited a personal purpose

But were adapted from propaganda

Vivid

July 17, 2024

Nature’s cycles remind us of our ancestors

The gardens they planted and nurtured

The uncertainty in every season they lived

The harvest is dwindling because of greed

This intense competition for resources

Can’t be what our predecessors wanted

Rose City

July 16, 2024

Portland, Oregon is known as the rose city

Much controversy over reputation

Culture and political history overshadow

The constant bloom of creativity

That never stops flowing like the river

Floating Mountain

July 13, 2024

Urban sensibilities fuel rapid social pace

With plenty of turnover and loss of meaning

Opportunities abound to consume it all

Fashionable ways to show power

Cynical ways to be entertained

Negligible returns on questionable investments

In the background a mountain floats

Above the historic events it observes

Waiting for natural forces to level the field

Bald Eagle

July 11, 2024

Soaring above me this morning

Two eagles crossed paths

Mounted separate thermals

To leave in different directions

It’s clear the government did not ask

Any bald eagle for permission

To use his image and his likeness

As the logo of a geopolitical game

Nothing would seem more ridiculous

To a creature of great vision

Than to be used in a bald faced lie

We spent Fourth of July weekend in Portland, Oregon at the Waterfront Blues Festival. I have attended many music festivals in the past. This one thrilled me more than any other. The music was diverse and of extreme high quality. We rocked our socks right off while discovering new artists.

The festival is superbly well organized with several stages in play at all times. Cajuns were well represented in musical styles and costumes. We thoroughly enjoyed our Bayou Blues Cruise on the river that featured 3 bands on 3 levels of the ship. There was plenty of room for a dancing crowd and space to rest in air conditioned comfort.

We met fun and interesting people from all over the place, many Canadians. The festival was well attended but not crowded. The most ethnically diverse crowd I have seen in Oregon was on hand in some intriguing fashion. Friendly dancing folk of all walks of life came to listen to music next to the water. I had no contact with the news at all, reveling in the moment with thousands of people in sync while creating art and beauty.

Return to reality is harsh and unpleasant. The break restored my faith and confidence in humanity. I hope I live long enough to be on hand for next year on the waterfront. It soothes the spirit and feeds the soul.