Doing Sanctuary at the Miccosukee Embassy in Miami is taking its toll on me. Looking out the window at the trees isn't enough. Like the Animals sing, "we-- Haalie and me-- gotta get out of this place." If it's the last thing we ever do.
Seeing Nokosee once in a while isn't enough-- and the anxiety it brings doesn't balance out-- when he's with us, I can't shake the idea that he's going to get caught.
Re-reading Hermann Hesse reminds me of my love affair with trees-- and the world. I grew up in trees, played tree tag with kids and when older, read books up high in the boughs. If you read my books, you know Haalie, our daughter was conceived in a gumbo limbo tree deep in the Everglades. For those who aren't familiar with Hesse, here's a great short introduction by Maria Popova to his mind and his relationship with trees. He writes,
Seeing Nokosee once in a while isn't enough-- and the anxiety it brings doesn't balance out-- when he's with us, I can't shake the idea that he's going to get caught.
Re-reading Hermann Hesse reminds me of my love affair with trees-- and the world. I grew up in trees, played tree tag with kids and when older, read books up high in the boughs. If you read my books, you know Haalie, our daughter was conceived in a gumbo limbo tree deep in the Everglades. For those who aren't familiar with Hesse, here's a great short introduction by Maria Popova to his mind and his relationship with trees. He writes,
"When we are stricken and cannot bear our lives any longer,
then a tree has something to say to us: Be still! Be still!
Look at me! Life is not easy, life is not difficult. . .
Home is neither here nor there.
Home is within you, or home is nowhere at all."
then a tree has something to say to us: Be still! Be still!
Look at me! Life is not easy, life is not difficult. . .
Home is neither here nor there.
Home is within you, or home is nowhere at all."
Those words are supposed to be comforting. But all I hear is "We gotta get outta this place if it's the last thing we ever do."