Poetry For Now

Truthful, humorous and insightful poetry to uplift and brighten your day. Hosted and written by Martin Strasmore. The resounding gongs, played by Kassandra Strasmore, offer an experience of peace and tranquility. Good poetry can open up the mind and heart to new ways of seeing the world, accepting difficulties and embracing opportunities for transformation. Each episode is intended to support and uplift the world and to renew our respect for each other and nature.

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Poetry For Now

BACK HOME AGAIN

October 14, 2021 • Martin Strasmore • Season 2 • Episode 12

After 6 weeks traveling in Europe I have thousands of images to process and select, from my hike around Mont Blanc, my daughters wedding in Germany, and our river cruise down the Danube.
I start the TMB Hike and this episode in Les Hoches, France and will continue in episode 13 in Italy and Switzerland.

Writing poetry requires uses a different part of the brain from the visual processing of the images. So expect poetry relating to this trip to appear over the coming weeks. Thanks for your patience, waiting for this podcast!

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Podcast 12 - WELCOME BACK

After 6 weeks traveling in Europe I have 1000’s of images to process and select, from my hike around Mont Blanc, my daughters wedding in Germany, and our river cruise down the Danube. I start the TMB Hike and this episode in Les Hoches, France and will continue in episode 13 in Italy and Switzerland.

FOOD A LA FRANCAISE

Relishing each bite

perfectly spiced

exquisitely simple.

light cream sauce

the flavorful fish

floats into my taste buds.

I had almost forgotten

the bliss of a perfect

French meal.

The French are lovers

Lovers of the earths gift

Tasty tomatoes

Perfect peaches

Fragrant fromage

Experts at balancing

flavors into exquisite dishes

STARTING UP DAYS MERGE

Its a rough start to the TMB

the tour de Mont Blanc.

Up and down steep rocky paths

occasional flat stretches

on a smooth trail.

climbing up generating heat

bumping down cooling off

Marriage can be like this

Hot when things are up

cool when coming down.

Then the landscape changes

blackberries and blueberries

waiting to be plucked.

butterflies dancing around colorful flowers

before the rope bridge sways over the glacier.

Down the next steep decline

rubber legs barely moving

approaching a grassland vista

red and green grasses in unison

waving in the wind.

As we reach a summit.

3 days of memories

mixing up the feelings

Of hard, long climbs and tough descents.

Summits that are temporary

before the next climb comes into view.

and the long descent to the next respite

of a good night’s sleep.

one moment Mont Blanc’s snowy summit

appears through the puffy white clouds

above the meadow of round white puffy flowers

white, white, green and then blue sky.

Folds of glacial rocks

cast sharp edged shadows

as water cascades down narrow channels

creating falling water

composing music for my tired body.

These first three days

have merged composting

the difficult and delightful

into healthy respect for the mountains,

absorption into the beauty of changing landscapes

and the feeling of accomplishment

as I learned from my mistakes.

My old boots, comfortable on Florida’s

flat landscape,

crushed my poor toes on steep descents.

Now they are on their way,

gifts for nepalese with smaller feet than mine.

My photographer’s perfectionism

carrying heavy extra lenses

dropped that idea now

and 10 pounds extra weight.

The next 10 days I will float

along.

BEFORE THE FALL

The end of a long third day

an exhausting unexpected climb

on sharp shuddering shale

knowing that a long descent

is yet to come.

Looking across the ridge

seeing a scary steep zig zag path

coming out of the clouds

going down into a valley

far below.

My heart sinks

My legs shudder

My mind says

be strong

you have no choice

No sign has appeared

saying Les Chapieux

Could the guide be wrong.

Over the ridge the Retreat

and a small almost invisible sign

Nailed up as an afterthought.

Les Chapieux that way

a more gentle path.

Joining a group of young Israelis,

a third my age,

they scamper down

too fast for me.

Letting them go on

I say, jokingly,

make sure I get down alive!

Minutes later I trip

rolling over protecting my gear

My ribs land on rocks

My knuckles bleed

I howl with pain

They are far gone

oblivious to my fall.

Painfully rising

I have no choice

but to keep moving

on my jelly legs.

It’s a happy moment

when I finally creep in,

wet from a sudden rain shower

the last one to arrive.

I am so grateful this day

has ended and I am whole,

in one piece.

Maybe these tests

are the challenges

I need to meet

to keep feeling alive,

and young at heart.