Migration of Dates and Birds

The Mount Vernon workshop date has migrated. The new

date is October 16, 2010.

The workshop will take place on Fir Island, a magnificent place I will

always love for it being the first place I ever saw a massive flock of snow geese filling the sky.

That was the beginning of October, so there is a very good chance of seeing geese, and possibly trumpeter swans again during the workshop weekend. I'll be keeping my eyes and ears open for them (they're loud-but it's a great noise)

A sight like this brings poems to mind- especially those of Mary Oliver and David Whyte, two of my favorite contemporary poets.

Here's one by David Whyte, from The House of Belonging :

Above the mountains

the geese turn into

the light again

painting their

black silhouettes

on an open sky.

Sometimes everything

Has to be

enscribed across

the heavens

so you can find

the one line

already written

inside you.

Sometimes it takes

a great sky

to find that

small, bright

and indescribable

wedge of freedom

in your own heart.

Sometimes with

the bones of the black

sticks left when the fire

has gone out

someone has written

something new

in the ashes

of your life.

You are not leaving

you are arriving.

-David Whyte