December Irises

December Irises at Zoe Berkowski's house in Mill Valley












A small statue in the home of ornithologist and Alcatraz ranger, Christian Hellwig, at a time when he is seeking the parrot in Brazil that feeds its young with clay


Written 28 December 2006, in Christian Hellwig's house, where Brad Mitchell was housesitting:

PEONY BLOSSOMING

Why do I make life seem like a trap?
I am the maker of that labyrinth.
This thing I consider my life's trail is,
in fact, the plan and pattern of my labyrinth.
If I could see it now instead of when
completed by my death, would I be glad
for that knowledge, that prescience?
And if I know I am in a labyrinth


















of my own making, and that I am still making,
is there any sense in trying to make
my way out of that labyrinth? Instead
of the seeking that is creating my labyrinth,
if I just sit down and stop looking
for the way out, I WILL BE OUT.

- James McColley Eilers, copyright 2006

Zooming a view of San Francisco from Mill Valley:











Pretending that, as I say good-bye to 2006, San Francisco will have a brilliant yellow sky...