What It Means To Be Wet

For years now I’ve stood
along the edge of this river.
The shallow water shifting over
pebbles and sand, playing
games with driftwood and fallen leaves.


Watching, wading,
here I’ve learned part of Her story.


But sometimes - when no one is looking -
I’ll lay down
and pretend that
this
is what it means to be wet.


As I lay here, submerged,
I hear Her whisper from
further out.
Her long, cold fingers invite me
to deeper waters,
yet I still hold
to roots and branches
along the shoreline.


I have sometimes believed it to be enough -
this hesitant immersion -
though, in truth, I cannot call it
surrender.
Her wells run deeper
than my willingness in wading
has ever shown.


Today, instead of clinging to the rocks,
I’m letting go.
Look for me in the ocean -
I’ll be learning to swim.


West Latta - 2009

The Poet As Husband

I write in a small shadowed corner
in order to bear light into the world,
though the light is not my own.
My darkness is no darkness to you
and nothing you should wish upon yourself,
but my light shall also be your light,
in which we shall see differently
but gloriously. I am not lame inside me,
no matter that I drag my foot, I have run here
through all my infirmities to bring you news
of a battle already won. Let my last breath
speak victory into the world. The race is run
and shall be run again, joyfully, and you shall
run with me, the territory opened
to us like returned laughter
or remembered childhood. Remember,
I was here, and you were here,
and together we made a world.

~ David Whyte ~

Overcoming The Fear Of Death - or - “Yes, I signed up for this.”

Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion. It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs. ~ Emerson

I was saddened to hear of the recent illness and deaths that occurred at a spiritual retreat center in Arizona. I'll spare the details (a web search will provide more accounts and opinions than you'll care to read), but the basic recap is this: A group of people were attending a personal development workshop in Arizona. At one point during the workshop, they were all engaged in a sweat lodge ceremony (I'm uncertain of the particular methodology, or if it was modeled after any particular Native tradition). During the ceremony, many participants fell ill, and two died. On the rational level, clearly something went very, very wrong in that ceremony.

Having participated in numerous sweat lodge ceremonies, numerous personal development workshops, and, on more than one occasion, events which posed a direct threat to my physical and emotional well being, I expect a much higher level of integrity from the organizers. Warrior Sage practices a level of 'impeccability' that comprehensively covers the way staff and volunteers act with one another, the way they interact with participants, the way participants act with participants - every single detail is covered and addressed. Satyen spent many, many years training with Shaolin masters, so as you might expect, his attention to detail is very high. Most importantly, however is this simple covenant by which we agree to work together: that each of us is 100% responsible for ourselves AND 100% responsible for the safety and growth for everyone around us. This philosophy is at odds with the 'rugged individualist' approach to life that we so love here in the West. This communal responsibility approach sings the counterpoint to "pull yourself up by the bootstraps!" No - pull each other up, and thereby you'll find you're all standing on ground more firm and resilient than any you could till of your own accord.

Even so - the participants for such events, while often zealous and occasionally naieve, are rarely (if ever) unaware of the potential dangers. And in every case I've ever seen, the answer to one question provides all the detail you need to make a fair assessment of the outcome: "Yes, I signed up for this."

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