The Yellowstone Experience

A Bowl of Memories

In the oversized brandy bowl
......covered with a haze of dust
......slumbers memories of travels,
......twenty years or more.
The matchbooks no longer await
......the quick strike into oblivion.
Instead,
......though some covers are faded from the sun,
......they remain a museum of remembrances –
......taste delights and euphoric adventures.
The mere glance at these authorless books
......awaken the past.
There is the L’Armagnac,
......a cow town’s first venture
......into French cuisine.
Its demise in the 80’s
......brought more than one tear
......to Francophiles.
Resting nearby is the Bali Hilton,
......whose elegance sets
......among the lush flora
......and introduces sojourners to a people
......where the gods govern each step.
A few layers down rests
......the cover from the John Dory Restaurant
......from downunder.
How can one forget
......the vibrancy of the City of Sails
......and the fresh seafood served
......or Sydney Harbor on a clear day,
......the bay overflowing with spinnakers?
Hundreds of matchbooks reside
......within this glass enclosure,
......each with a unique story.
Though the bowl is nearly full
......there is still space available
......for new adventures to assume
......their place at the top –
......the most recent ones to enrich one’s life.

Comments: Like many, I have collected matchbook covers from many places where I have dined or stayed. Though I have not officially counted the number in the bowl, I estimate that there are over two hundred covers. In recent years, the additions have been minimal as fewer and fewer establishments offer free matches. Instead you receive a business card, better for filing but not nearly as much fun as seeing a familiar or exotic cover in the bowl.

American Safari

“Ulysses' legacy is the destination,
......no guides or porters to lead the way.
Only a sense of adventure and willingness
......to let go are requisite.
The honey brown grasses, blue-green sage,
......golden aspens, crisp nights, and warm days –
......all herald the arrival of fall.
Meandering along windy roads,
......windows down,
......bathing in the fragrance of pine,
Big Sky above and crystal mountain streams
......assail the senses.
Gone are the crowds of summer.
Rather, fly fishermen, photographers,
......and seekers have arrived
......to this place called Yellowstone.

On a very special day,
......a strenuous climb to isolated Trout Lake,
......otters diving upon the rustle of human sounds,
......creates an awareness of greatness beyond self.
All the way down, the hiker sings
......not just in celebration,
......but to let the bears know
......the uninvited is visiting their home.

Sighting grizzlies and black bears
......awaken awareness of vulnerability.
Graceful antelope pass within feet,
......choosing to rest nearby.
Coyotes appear oblivious
......as they forage for their feast.
The ubiquitous bison transform
......one's thoughts to times
......when they were masters of the plains.

Later, alone in a picnic area
......by a gurgling mountain stream
......the mind is soothed
......and the world seems pure.
One pauses in reflection
......and thanks President Grant
......for his foresight and gift to the world.

Comments: You do not need to travel to Africa to experience animal life in the wild, some as exotic as anywhere in the world. Yellowstone in the off season brings you into close proximity with many including grizzlies and black bear. One of the joys of this seasonal experience is the opportunity to be alone and interact in your own way with the magnificence of Yellowstone. At times, the experience becomes very personal and spiritual.