I love walking in the mornings to connect with simply Me.  I wanted to share a site which accompanies me on my iPod nearly every day. It is www.speakingoffaith.org  or Speaking of Faith.  I have been exposed to some of the most interesting thinkers, writers, yoga experts, physicists, the list goes on.  Krista Tippett has this engaging wit and incisive understanding of every individual she interviews. It doesn`t hurt that she has the most infectious laugh either.  I wanted to share this incredible resource for finding intelligent and moving conversation that gets me inspired during my walks in Overton Park here in Memphis.... One of the only virgin forests in the middle of an American city.  Now, how cool is that?

This morning I was touched by a phrase in a conversation between Charlie Rose and the president of New York University, John Sexton.

"Tolerance for complexity."

I just felt the warmth of recognition when he said that sentence.

We all need to accept our complexity, not apologize for it.

Climbing the tree.

Stepping over

sour chartreuse,

the bland soft,

to reach your

sweetest plum.

Putting up preserves

for the Winter

without you.

t. parker

Turn the dial,

adjust a blurred view.

The intoxication of one,

one thumb,

one forefinger

at the nape of my neck

has sprung my calibration.

My ability to weigh

worthiness and emptiness

impaired.

Gather some grains.

Bring the halves of shell

together.

Make new pearls.

t. parker

Penumbral Order

Grief`s iron

shavings draw

constellations

of black notes

over white noise.

t. parker

I have to share this poem by T. S. Eliot.  It is every poet`s story, every artist`s story, and truly every human being`s story when we expose who we truly are....

The Concert Room

So intimate, this Chopin, that I think his Soul

should be resurrected only among friends.  Some

two or three who will not touch the bloom,

that is rubbed and questioned

in the Concert Room.

T. S. Eliot

One wonder

pushed off my chest

wiped from my face

the need

to know

the forgotten

which held me

asleep.

t.parker

This is a snippet of a conversation I had with the late Jameson Jones, a mentor and friend.  We walked in the park nearly every day and solved all of the world`s problems.........

Richness lies in what you ruthlessly throw away.

                              ~  Jameson Jones

Empty hours

fill with creamy

Wonder which

drip

drip

through holes driven by

sharp shoulds.

t parker

What has

become

unimportant?

t parker

You speak stillness;

a language so fluent,

you knew

I would hear.

t. parker

This morning I came across this passage by author Ilene Segalove from her book "Snap Out of It".

"Mastery and self-knowledge is what we strive for, but mystery is what we are left with.  So court the mystery and be surprised."

Rub your fingers

across these

dusty buds

of never enough;

perfume me.

t parker

Too late

slides past

my hips

as I 

unbuckle

the inevitable.

t. parker

Today`s conversation about what our bodies should be and what they are brought this to the surface:

What is my expression now?  It was different five years ago.  We struggle with what fit then

and doesn`t fit now.  I`m not talking about clothes.  Tonight I found this poem written at some other

time a few years ago when I didn`t fit my ideal.

My fingers smooth

the surface of a

fresh vessel

to hold pure water.

Are there wise hands

to forgive these delicate

fissures?

t. parker

The Poetry products are a synthesis of all my interests that give me inspiration.... This part of journaling using the blog format may help me to express in more detail where I go to get that inspiring drink of water.

I also plan to include a poem inside this aspect of my site.  With that in mind, here is one of the poems that I put on tags I randomly include on each of the Poetry products:

Scattering weeds

over your geometry

spreads a gentle place

for

your skydiving mind.