This was inspired by Gary Snyder (born May 8, 1930). Gary is an American poet (often associated with the Beat Generation and the San Francisco Renaissance), as well as an essayist, lecturer, and environmental activist — frequently described as the “poet laureate of Deep Ecology”. Snyder is a winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. His work, in his various roles, reflects an immersion in both Buddhist spirituality and nature – to which I strongly relate.
Gary Snyder
He grew up near where I lived 25 years in Portland Oregon and attended Reed College there. He was friends with Allan Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and most of the beat writers – the majority of whom had urban backgrounds. Gary spent much of his youth, including his college years, hiking and working in the Northwest backcountry. This experience and his interest in things rural, made him appear exotic to his Beat Generation peers — who often referred to Snyder as ‘the Thoreau of the Beat Generation’
A world traveler, with a fondness for the Far East; Gary spent many years exploring and living in the wilderness of the western United States, especially the Pacific Northwest. He loves this region, as I do 30 years now, having just moved from Oregon to Washington. His work is strongly influenced by this love. I offer this poem I’ve written in the spirit of Gary Snyder! It recounts a wonderful experience I had on one of my many Lost Lake hikes, high up in the Cascade Mountains, out of Zig Zag Oregon, on the western slope of Mt Hood.
Mt. Hood over Lost Lake, Oregon
my footfalls
drum the root chambers
of the cascade mountain old growth
each step cushioned
by centuries of needle-drop
in this ancient forest
rounding a bend in the trail
brushing through waist-high fern
I crest a knoll
and stop
mesmerized
light drifts down dreamlike
filtered by the woodland canopy
settling soft around me
far off
a glimpse
of azure waters
suddenly
I’m startled
a beautiful young doe
bounds onto the path
just in front of me
standing
proud
golden in the glow
she considers me briefly
then disappears
quick as a stolen glance
quiet as passing time
rob kistner © 2019
Old growth on Lost Lake trail
DAY 2