FootprintsintheWind.com

Mr. President, are you satisfied with your life? What’s missing?

:- Doug.

What suppose you is the elemental truth of conversing?

:- Doug.

What makes you diff’rent
is the secret hiding place
of uttermost worth

:- Doug.

It seems an irony that someone not talking can find friends so readily as John Francis does. Yet: words might not be necessary: Share a laugh—or tears.

:- Doug.

With himself
he is at war
pity him
pity us
what can we do for him?

:- Doug.

Conversation has become my way to slow in life, so as to take in beauty on the way.

:- Doug.

Come close enough
to feel your friend’s breath
re-weaving your heart

:- Doug.

Silks of rain blown by the wind
except nothing from skies
and wind only of spirit:
Dancing labyrinths of scents,
sounds, seasonings, and texture

:- Doug.

Poking holes
off we go into the wild
grey yonder

:- Doug.

Each grandchild is precious. The more you have, the less earth for each. Please don’t have so many!

:- Doug.

Can you say the thing without using visual referents, while staying concrete?

:- Doug.

Prayer:
Bid waxing forces swell
quelling forces shrink

:- Doug.

It is necessary, this requires, I drop my attitude of holding up a shield. I am about to be filleted. No longer will I swim and cavort, I am going to be food.

:- Doug.

take my hand, come walk
along landscapes and waters’ edges
of conversation

:- Doug.

Shaping my fingers now
tingling, prickling, itching, taunting
a poem, unsought

:- Doug.

But I don’t want to talk or write about duty, rather of attraction and desire.

:- Doug.

Once we bring one up from waters to personhood, we have responsibility to become ourselves made of them.

:- Doug.

Can we ever engage the whole person? Or does it only feel to one or both as the entire? What is “consuming?”

:- Doug.

Laziness and a little fear
keep us from
coming together

:- Doug.

How does an artist invite an instant conversation?

:- Doug.

Have you ever approached an instant conversation as a landscape to paint?

:- Doug.

Draw for me a map, a landscape of a conversation, such as with a waitress.

:- Doug.

You too are in the conversation business.

:- Doug.