Poetry For Now

Truthful, humorous and insightful poetry to uplift and brighten your day. Hosted and written by Martin Strasmore. The resounding gongs, played by Kassandra Strasmore, offer an experience of peace and tranquility. Good poetry can open up the mind and heart to new ways of seeing the world, accepting difficulties and embracing opportunities for transformation. Each episode is intended to support and uplift the world and to renew our respect for each other and nature.

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Poetry For Now

My Dolomites Adventure

September 03, 2024 • Martin Strasmore • Season 4 • Episode 2

After 3 days in Venice I take a bus up into the Dolomite Mountains to my starting point, Cortina. 6 days walking from town to town, across the most unusual and dramatic landscapes shaped both by glacial erosion and volcanic activity. As you listen to these poems enjoy my photos at thewalkingpoet.net My bucket list is shrinking and As one adventure ends, the next one is about to begin!

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My Dolomite Adventure

Hello & Welcome to Poetry for Now Season 4 Episode 2: My Dolomite Adventure. After 3 days in Venice I take a bus up into the Dolomite Mountains to my starting point, Cortina. 6 days walking from town to town, across the most unusual and dramatic landscapes shaped both by glacial erosion and volcanic activity. As you listen to these poems enjoy my photos at thewalkingpoet.net

TRAVELLING

Each day bings a new delight

After 36 hours door to door

I am in a hotel in Venice

Soon to be enjoying my first meal

In this sparkling canal city

The wonder of those flying machines

Still amazes me

How we quickly appear in another world.

Everything different from yesterday:

Language, food, clothes, faces

weather, architecture,, art

Design, Culture, coffee

Music in the Piazza.

Getting around

on foot or by boat

Over bridges or under bridges

Through crowds or around crowds

Start early before the cruises arrive

Or wait, until they have left.

Even the endless souvenir shops

hats, masks,Murano glass

still leave me delighted

weaving around the city

passing infinite gelato shops

finding those small local trattoria

experiencing tasty Cicchetti,

the tapas of Venice,

with locals at tables
in narrow alleys.

A city of the sea

seafood is fresh

baked to perfection

in parchment paper.

Deliveries and garbage removal

manual labor on carts

keeping businesses flowing

the boats with cranes

bringing tiles, and scaffolding

renovating the old buildings.

Ferrying down the Grand Canal

Seeing centuries of trading wealth

shown in glorious villas, gardens and domes

now, desperately trying to stay above water

to be protected

As our climate changes around the world

THREE PEAKS

DREI ZINNEN - TRE CIME

Here in the Dolomites

am I in the Austrian Tyrol?

or am I in Italy?

Names, language, food

its all mixed up.

The early bus drops me off.

there’s the UNESCO sign

World Heritage Site

my first serious Dolomite day begins.

Sun shining, perfect temperature

Walking alone steady up hill

hearing the rushing river

twisting and tumbling.

A couple catches me up,

I keep to my steady pace

aware of the altitude change

not rushing from sea level Florida.

Because here i start at 1,000 meters.

Enjoying the fresh dry air,

The dramatic mountains

the refreshing green forests

interspersed with snow patches

against bright blue sky

the 3 peaks appear

like arrow heads

above the plateau.

In good time, I reach

Refugio Locatelli at 2450M

Slowly eating my bread and cheese

drinking and refilling my water,

Chatting with 3 Coloradians

feeling how special

these Dolomite mountains are

Its my first day

I take my time

chewing and

watching the clouds

slowly rolling in

cloaking the 3 peaks

from the view for late starters.

Moving on now

aiming for the other side

where buses should be

to take me back to Cortina.

Many more hikers appear

walking up

towards the Refugio I just left

out for their afternoon stroll.

Its mostly down hill for me

and I will be happy

to get back and rest

after a glorious day one.

Would life be so simple,

but the next challenge awaits.

Which bus will take me?

the crowd waiting in line

doesn’t know.

The bus I planned to take

number 445 takes off early.

Time to hitch a ride.

In seconds a Dutch couple stops

squeezing into their electric BMW

A one hour Glide down to my hotel

Sharing my shots of the cloudless peaks

Perfect repayment for their kindness.

RAINY DAY

The rain came suddenly

hugging trees for shelter

looking down

the water drops

are shining jewels

on alpine flowers.

purple, white, scarlet

blue and yellow

The rain is a blessing

directing me to look down

to the unnoticed beauty

of the forest flowers.

I cannot stay,

so Moving on

into the sweeping wind

across open alpine meadows

dotted with log huts

each eave offers meager shelter

from the wind driven rain.

Each pause in the downpour

I move onto the next hut

until i finally reach

the Refugio

drying off

to eat gourmet ravioli

hot chocolate with schalkzaner

i cannot face 4 more hours

of soaking rain

I ask for a better way

to reach my destination.

There is a way down

out of the weather,

my new found guide

leads me to a nearby chairlift.

Out of the wind

still far to walk

on tarmac roads

through the town

past houses and hotels.

The marathon bike race

passing the finishing line,

I think about my finishing line

just keep moving

don’t stop now

the sauna is getting close.

WALKING CHANGES TIME

Stumbling over freshly fallen boulders

Reaching the smoother stony Trail

Looking ahead to the slippery Patches

White, muddy Brown, icy snow

still Hanging on in Shady spots

Refusing to melt on a warm summer day

then slowly becoming narrow streams of water

Climbing up the steep trail

now only one boot wide.

eroded by snow, rain, and sliding rocks

There's no going back.

Arriving high above the valley

Looking into the whirling clouds

hiding the scenes below.

Time to eat, drink and rest

knowing the descent coming next

The German family take my photo

Yes, I was here at 2650 meters.

We all leave the peak and go down

from Sas Ciampac

Different directions, different destinations.

Staying away from the edge

and a steep drop into the abyss

I walk alone

In the silent moonscape.

Through volcanic sentinels

And splashing streams

trusty poles keep me upright

As rocks slip away under my boots.

Where am I, where is the path down?

red and white painted flags

Appear now and then on a rock

Around a bend, far away.

This is not a well-worn path

More of a slight indent

in this isolated moonscape

Splattered with snowy patches.

Reaching a wider trail

In the distance

I see people approaching

A bouquet jof Alpine flowers

a lake and green vegetation

(Leche Crespeina)

Surrounded by vertical red cliffs

Rising thousands of feet

Above the ochre colored pathway

The steep trail down

follows a small river

Tumbling over golden rocks

in miniature waterfalls

Edged by yellow and golden flowers

Far below I see green fields.

I am ready to come down

From moon time.

I am ready to reenter

people time.