We ordinary beings can cling to the earth
and love where we are.
~ William Stafford
You ask, Why Padden Creek?
What’s so special about Padden Creek?
I could answer, Why not?
but there are so many answers
as there are so many paths.
Padden Creek is special,
as every place is special.
Padden Creek is beautiful and damaged,
as every place is beautiful and damaged.
Tell me about a place special to you,
and you begin telling me about yourself.
Tell me about the heart of a place,
and you begin telling me about your heart.
Tell me the secrets of a place,
and you begin telling me your secrets.
Peel back the layers of a place,
find everything expected and unexpected,
find what a place means.
Peel back layers, find a dwelling place.
Peel back layers, find history and longing,
find stories and belonging, find inspiration.
Peel back layers, find common ground;
peel back layers, find sacred ground.
You ask, Why Padden Creek?
What’s so special about Padden Creek?
This is where I am, and I love where I am.
~*~
Andrew Shattuck McBride
NaPoWriMo 2014 ~ Day 22
The epigraph is from William Stafford’s poem
“Allegiances” and is part of his concluding line.
Please see The Darkness Around Us Is Deep:
Selected Poems of William Stafford, edited
and with an introduction by Robert Bly (1993),
page 30.
Andrew Shattuck McBride, Writer's Blog 
You are in a very special room right now. How delightful that you found it! Padden Creek, William Stafford…synchronicity becomes you.
Susan, thank you very much.
William Stafford is one of my most favorite poets and writers. I just ordered his book on writing, Writing the Australian Crawl.
Blessings to you and yours, Andy
“Padden Creek is beautiful and damaged,
as every place is beautiful and damaged.
Tell me about a place special to you,
and you begin telling me about yourself.
Tell me about the heart of a place,
and you begin telling me about your heart.”
Oh dear heavens, Andy. You bring to mind some of these places I write about here in Penn’s Woods, and your words did exactly what an excellent poet’s words should do; you hit the mark in a surprising way, surprising and yet exactly what I could recognize, like the words an old friend might have once said. Just beautiful. And I had to choke back a tear or two to say this. I kid you not. Enjoying this Padden Creek series. Sorry that I have been away so much, but thank you for all of your kind encouragement!
David, thank you very much–you’re very kind.
I’m advocating for all places, beautiful or damaged. How can we begin to repair all the damage unless we recognize the underlying beauty of a place?
I’m looking forward to reading your writing about Penn’s Woods.
Thanks again, and best wishes, Andy