The Poetry of Yoga, A Contemporary Anthology, Volume II is out! Rick has two poems featured in this great anthology, alongside poems written by MC Yogi, Ana Forrest, Seane Corn, and Angela Farmer (and other yogi poets)! On August 2 and 3, Rick and I are organizing a poetry event at Om Culture in Seattle to promote this great body of yoga poetry! I will post information on that event on my website within a few weeks.
Rick wrote the following poem, Tiny Ascetic Cave, while we were in Rishikesh. I do not have the photo he took of the tiny cave we came upon, but I have included some photos of the powerful River Ganga!
Ganga River in Rishikesh
Don and Fran walking alongside the fast flowing Ganga (Rishikesh)
Tiny Ascetic Cave
Beside the River Ganga
I come upon a tiny cave,
with floor of sand
woven mat for bed,
rounded stone for pillow,
light from the setting sun
glowing red within.
The river glints and gabbles
just beyond its mouth.
The falling light intensifies
the saffron tones of Rishikesh
as chant from a nearby ashram
resounds ecstatically.
Endless human ashes
from ghats upstream,
snuffed by the all-
embracing waters,
sweep by like silt
to occupy the mind.
A million miles in spirit
from the maddening roar
of the materialistic world!
I take a photo
to look at later:
tiny ascetic cave,
at the moment
unoccupied,
a long invisible finger
beckoning me
to come inside.
Sunrise on the Ganga (photo taken by Rick in Varanasi)
The Ganga (Ganges River) in Varanasi
I’m certain that the photo of the tiny ascetic cave is one of the 900 I lost on that epic journey, but I’ll be sure to take about a hundred, with at least two cameras, next time I walk downstream from Rishikesh town.
love this! you and Rick are the dynamic duo!