Forty years ago, I used to go hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains with my first wife, the late Cathay Gleeson. It was one of the best parts of our marriage. I recently noticed that Phil Taggart had once sent out a poem he’d written in 2022 about the struggle of dealing with adversity. I post it today with the hope that others also find renewed resilience.
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A POEM BY PHIL TAGGART:
“Walking in Harman Canyon”
slog up the canyon a few miles from home building strength today
yes there is pain but it’s mostly old man pain
the drought keeps the hills brown never got green this year
my past is online waving at me nostalgia and rage
like to walk in the morning before it gets hot pass the
WW2 era jeep
the uneven ground helps my balance take off at a quick pace
of course everyone passes me just happy to walk again
there’s a war lord in Redding his acolytes beat a black man
feels good trudging up this dirt road pushing myself past the old
old tractor also erodes
of the canyon someone has built a giant roadrunner holy
it watches us
it seems there is a connection the klan the police the military oh my
reach the turn-around-point and I do local cross-country teams
have passed me once twice
Jim Crow is making a comeback in legislatures
even the Supreme Court
strength wanes stumble back to the car I sweat
happiness I sweat caution
the canyon holds its breath no rain waiting for fire
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And here’s a link to to Phil Taggart’s video poem, “Last Night”
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For books and further information:
https://philtaggartpoet.com/
About Bill Mohr