City of Ruins

 

    I arrived in Minneapolis on Monday 2/28, after having driven 716 some odd miles, a journey of over 11 hours. It was worth it to leave Detroit behind. Yesterday, I explored some of the city, going first to the Mill Ruins Park, then to Minnehaha Falls. I am slowly falling in love with this city--it wears its broken bones like a corset. I love the way nature erupts into the midst of things--the way the snow comes like an old friend in the night. I can see myself settling down here in the twin cities--there's something here that makes me feel strangely comfortable. 

    Tomorrow I'm going to the Walker Art Museum to wander around before the Magers & Quinn Bookstore poetry reading (Lee Thomas and Chris Stark) & I'd like to try to sneak in a trip to the Fort Snelling State Park earlier in the day. 

    Yesterday and today I started to feel that I was "falling behind" in my writing--and it's true, but I also haven't created a regular system, or schedule of writing--the muse still doesn't know where to find me. I've been living so erratically--jumping from city to city, it's exciting but also it frustrates my ability to find a settled routine. 

    Today's daily card was the 2 of Swords. Representing difficult choices, indecision and stalemate. "Being at a crossroads, this is a moment when you must make a difficult choice. One path closes the other and your decision is hanging in a perfect equilibrium and balance, making the choice ever more difficult. There is no clear winner, but to progress, one must take a stand." I feel like I need to make a choice about how I'm going to continue financing this journey. That's going to take some serious thinking. I'm not hopeless, that's for sure--but I'm uncertain about what to hope for. 

    Today's random poem is by Bhaswat Chakraborty, entitled "Mother" and there's one stanza that sticks out for me:

            "From the foes you saved me/ Allowed friends to be close/ You took the prick of the thorn/And handed me the rose." 

Remember too, the words of Sheila Moon from A Magic Dwells:

“If we can but learn, as this myth shows, the simple and hard lesson of emergence, of going into the darker places to follow the restless longing upward, of letting no small thing stay forgotten and unhonored, then we shall be whole. Then we shall be related to the unconscious powers within us of life and God. 

This is redemption.” 

    Tomorrow's going to be a good day, I'm going to make it one!