To accompany my recent post After the Blazing, here are two more shots from New Year’s Day in Gas Works Park, Seattle. They are introduced by the opening to Juan Felipe Herrera‘s beautiful, ecstatic poem “Let Us Gather in a Flourishing Way,” whose code-switching English and Spanish lines weave us all a bit closer.
Let us gather in a flourishing way
with sunluz grains abriendo los cantos
que cargamos cada día
en el young pasto nuestro cuerpo
para regalar y dar feliz perlas pearls
of corn flowing árboles de vida en las cuatro esquinas
let us gather in a flourishing way
contentos llenos de fuerza to vida
giving nacimientos to fragrant ríos
dulces frescos verdes turquoise strong
carne de nuestros hijos rainbows
let us gather in a flourishing way
en la luz y en la carne of our heart to toil
tranquilos in fields of blossoms
juntos to stretch los brazos
tranquilos with the rain en la mañana
temprana estrella on our forehead
cielo de calor and wisdom to meet us
where we toil siempre
in the garden of our struggle and joy
let us offer our hearts a saludar our águila rising
freedom
Chris Bronsk 
Thanks, Dave. The sundial is a terrific spot, and the solstice celebrations really something. I’m glad the photos brought back memories, and sorry for the delayed reply! All the best.
I lived in Gasworks for a time, many many moons ago. You post brought back memories of our solstice celebrations a top the sundial with a cauldron of local psylocibic and sasafrass infused tea. That hillside in (I) I camped out on.
Great photos.
Thanks, Simon. I’m partial to the second one, too. And I love the poem’s hypnotic switching between two languages. I’m glad you liked the pairing.
That second picture is wonderful. Love the poem, too. This would be perhaps the most effortless way to learn a foreign language!
Nice to meet you, too. Thanks for the likes and follow.
Very nice to meet you neighbor, thank you for visiting my blog.