Farewells

Saturday again, and the group leaves. A wonderful group this week, and Im sad to not be leaving with them as all thier energy is slowly drained from the place, and in its place, the gradual build up of a new group and a new dynamic. I have just riden into town, into this old cyber cafe in the back corner of the pub, its full of blokes again, yelling and spitting over card games and cigarettes, sitting close, one eye on the TV which shows footage of the floods in the mainland. A long and dark morning, the weather is moody and gorgeous, the garden moist and dark and shady, and insects turn up everywhere in the place, crawling out of holes and cracks in the stone, lizards retreat indoors as do stick insects, centerpedes and spiders, being swept aside and gathered by the days cleaning.

Its my last day here on the island and in the wake of this great group, and this great time, its nice to feel gratitude for the island and its gifts. The ladies left me a good 100euro tip! and also bought a bunch of my artworks so with full pockets and an extra full journal, i get to packing my bags, and prepare for the last rainy and glorious Mallorca evening. This week the grip it has had on me has slowly loosened, much to my discomfort, a slow farewell, and the more I bid it goodbye here the more i feel i will come back one day. Last night I went and hungout with my friend Frederico and enjoyed the stars, shooting and sparkling above us, as he told me tales of the kinds of people to get magnetized to this place, and why. There truly is something about it here.

Goodbye goat-bell mornings
good bye fig-sweet evenings
and that hot sceneted wind
goodbye nude swims with sunsets
and salty hilside rambles,
and valley strolling, piglet visiting,
flower picking, scenery sketching.
Goodbye friendly landscape
and your seasons shift
your autumnal colours now,
and your dry earth then,
your rocky pastures,
your twisted olive trees, curling out of the earth,
ready to curl back in.
your sweet rain-smell,
your little chatting birds,
your wild cats, all flattened roadside,
or whining at my window.
Your fullsky of stars bright,
your fullnights of mountain dreams-
with visiting lions and babies and medicine men.
Goodbye all you wise ladies who come here to share,
now i have more must-dos,
more compliments,
and more scribbled email addresses,
loaded in my bag.

Goodbye warm family who welcome me,
and your pets who keep me warm,
and your life you tentatively though gingerly open to others,
a great sharing.

Goodbye wonderful food,
I will miss such a kitchen!
goodbye magnetic island.