The Fire Druid

At 76, I am nearer now to the edge of life.

My desire to do magick with Excel diminishes.

And I slowly find myself drifting back to an earlier time.

When I lived and worked outdoors for most of the year for 18 years.

In 27 forests and 17 states deep in America's great forests.

The forestry cooperative I helped start planted 27 millions trees.

I put in just over 700,000 seedlings myself.

It was hard, really hard...the work and living in the elements.

The endless vagaries of weather and meeting so many wild creatures...

Changed me...in ways I carry with me still.

Slowly, I realized that everything is alive and has a consciousness.

And if you try real hard you can communicate with most of them.

The bears, wild horses, coyotes, chipmunks, and many many others.

They lived their lives without you, but were willing to share a moment.

Their perspectives and lived experience far from my own.

Every year we started planting in the southern mountains.

Where it was early spring in the valleys and late winter in the high country.

We planted for 2-3 weeks while the moisture was still there and moved on.

Always moving further north...into northern New Mexico and Arizona.

Where it was early spring in the valleys and late winter in the high country.

And spring would come while we were there planting a forest.

Late snows buried us, early rains flooded us and days started at first light.

The flowers popped up everywhere. Critters had babies, the days warmed.

We worked dawn to dusk, serving Mother Earth in the ways we knew how

And she embraced us and always kept us safe.

Then off again to southern Colorado and Utah we would go.

Where it was early spring in the valleys and late winter in the high country.

And we would plant through another mind boggling springtime.

Ever traveling north and higher in elevation.

Meeting creatures in their homes...living with their families.

Into northern Colorado, southern Wyoming, northern Wyoming...

Further north and higher up we would travel - into Montana & Idaho

Where it was early spring in the valleys and late winter in the high country.

I experienced the arrival & power of spring 5-6 times a year for many years.

Slowly I lost my way in time and became part of the forest.

Now at 76, I am near the edge of life.

My desire to do magick with Excel is all but extinguished.

And I find myself drifting back to this earlier time.

Retreating into that realm no less real than this reality.

Where Magick filled each day.

The forest remains and I know that it is I that left.

I long to lay in the sun in sweet spring grass by a creek.

To hear the wind and birds and listen to their counsel.

Where the days start at first light and end with music making,

Around a fire and an early bedtime followed by the deep sleep.