contemplation

trust.

cultivate wisely.
reaching for the best fruits.
planting the seed of universal love at the root
of every thought, word, and action
so each moment is an opportunity
to walk on a path of greater purpose.
to create with the creator,
a design worth living for,
worth uncovering,
worth shedding,
worth dissecting
every painful and numbing habit.
this material is not fertile
and we are so much more than we imagined.
all of this
worth letting go a little
to see where the wind carries us.

where there are no rules
the law of nature
reveals our roles.
we take heed by first
facing what we are not.
humbly, we draw
from trying
and find ourself
with no control
accepting
where we are.



lessons learned:
1. stay away from sheep dogs.

2. so this is what beach dogs are!

inspiration information.

you know you are in the thick of cutty country when the dirt road starts ending in bamboo bushes and raging pitbulls on fish-line leashes that are about to snap or when you have to make an unexpected detour due to a herd of sheep as wide of as the hillside coming straight toward you.

it is then that the message becomes clear.

"we are outnumbered", i said to the pups as we turned around.

yet, among the presence of algarvic menhirs (prehistoric rocks) dating back to 3000 BC, something tells me otherwise. remnants of fertility symbols, serpents, and phallic shapes pointing to the sky tells me something is larger than all of us combined.
















"the mythical mandrake (mandragora autumnalis) flowers in the valley. since ancient times aphrodisiacal powers have been attributed to this plant, because of its anthropomorphic roots. the name of the valley "amantes" - which means "lovers" - probably originated through people's beliefs in the mandrake as a "love potion" and because of the phallic menhirs found there. medieval writings say the plant had painkilling and sleep inducing qualities, and when pulled up, it shrieked. one could be driven mad by this sound." - guide to monte dos amantes

slavery starts here.

the first slave market in europe.
















lagos, portugal

half open

lagos, portugal

i find peace on the cliffs
with fishermen
speaking a tradition
almost essential.

perhaps the ocean was not meant to be touched
so closely in human scale.








the waves encapsulate relentlessly
yet from a distance
it is forgiveness.

something about smiling when you are alone
singing to the sky
laughing because you can't hold it in
when what you find funny
finds you.

something about the sun blanket on my skin
the wind of vastness
blowing into my hair.
reading the alchemist on a beach
cut out of cliffs
where the gods live in
incessant crashes.

the rocks know
the water is more powerful.

a rickety bicycle and
basil and kale cut from the garden
flowers in a franciscan carrafe
cut from the driveway.
burning fields and bamboo fences
everything converted into sound.
what a gift, a decent conversation is
in the core of silence.
the smell of red earth, salty ocean, and fresh laundry from a clothesline.
the language of the earth
and what draws us human-beings here
in each their own awe
withstanding the test of time.

a day well-present between sun rise and sunset.

and they say i deserve this...

believing is a process
and it begins with a dream
that survives the terrain of disbelief.

friends.

so, i'm riding on a trail toward the ocean,
and i come upon a herd of cows eating grass.
their bells are clanging.

all of a sudden, the bells stop, and they're staring at me.

"All the cows are looking at me!", i thought, eyes wide and smiling.

brown cows and white doves
never knew they were friends.

an unmarked tower
to an unmarked sun set
hums the ocean back
a salutation
in bodily vibration
i repeat
in yoga stance.

shiva?

oct. 7

praia da luz

A journey begins within. To go the “end of the world”, only to uncover the world within. A man with binoculars looking out his window, a woman picking from someone else’s lemon tree. To wake under a mosquito net, in a garage outlined with bird nests, we are all pushing boundaries that do not need to be drawn. Out of deep dream, within a dream, we are hanging on cliffs, as if to take a leap of faith, to trust another being, to feel free to merge to some degree, share space. We step into unknown territory, and for a moment face uncomfortable translation. Tension is understanding that we are separate beings trying to live together on this earth, and perhaps even beyond..if you believe.