Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Tribute to Panama: Not Before Coffee

This is a Spoken Word Poem thing with a melodic twist performed on a rooftop for my beloved travelling buddies on the 20th of Jan 2013.


A reunion in Panama, an adventure for three
The Isles of San Blas, strips of sand with coconut trees
All sickly pale and in desperate need
of sun rays and sunshine
on aqua carribean seeeeeeas
but noooooooot...before coffee

Barefoot treks through a jungle marquee 
Santa Fe was the next destination for three
Bound for the waterfalls, we sunk to our knees
In horse shit and spit, not a soul heard our pleeeeeeeas
but nooooooooot...before coffee

On the shores of Bocas we lived by the sea
Above an open sewerage that amazingly didn't reek
Sprawled out on the pier, with a ciggy and a beeeeeeeer
but noooooooot....before coffee

Backpacks reloaded on a water taxi
We arrived in Bastimentos, a jungle drumming oasis
In the Bushman's Kitchen we waited hours for a feed
But it was so worth the chef being high on his weeeeeeed...
thank Goooooooood we had our organic, Up On The Hill coffee

Things took a turn with an addition to the team
dynamics made a change and a Brazillian took the lead
carried our bags, booked hotels, ordered our food, translated our requests...
actually that's fiiiiiiiiiiine before coffee

In Santiago was a lesson about the humble abalone
I learned not to eat something that numbs your body
Thank goodness I had friends to take me to Emergncyyyyy
Unfortunately for them it was waaaaaaaayyyy before coffee

To Santa Catalina's Pacific with depths of murky
In search of the shark whale, its sight a rarity
All but one was equipped for the sea
Daca got cocky and then struggled to breeeeeeeeeathe
but nooooooot before coffee

We concluded our time with one more to the three
The four of us together made wonderful memories
We raised our glasses and toasted 2013
A bright new beginning in Panama Cityyyyyyyyyyy

(all together now!)

BUT NOOOOOOOOOT BEFORE COFFEEEEE

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Microworlds

Since the 22nd of November 2012, I have been blessed with the luxury of travel and landed in the U S of A. In the days and weeks following, I hand-balled myself from friend to friend, family to family in State to State with the question of 'meaning' in the foreground of my mind.

The full itinerary I had in North American leg of my-round-the-world trip was a testament to the loving friends I have made over the years and the family members I share a name and blood with.

Unfortunately I haven't figured out the advanced abilities of the iPad and the various apps for this blog to include photos...but hopefully these words paint a nice picture:

welcomed into homes 
beckoned into arms
with eyes just as wide
i peep into lives

i wander through worlds
see differences in reality


i perceive what is
i see what could be
i formulate a life 
i believe suits me

Thank you so much to family and friends who have so kindly hosted me in LA, San Jose, San Fran, New Jersey, Philadelphia, New York and Quebec (it's Canada, I know). Thank you for sharing a piece of your world. You have all inspired me in one way or another and feel pure gratitude and joy to be part of your life.

In a world that is shrinking, I'll see y'all again one day! 

Happy New Year!
XOX