| I found a rugged quartz crystal in our garden | | | | One day, I took Alphia Lee for a walk in |
| yesterday and brought it to my writing table, | | | | Golden Gate park. A squirrel distracted her |
| to gaze at its beauty and reveal its mystery | | | | from the beloved stick, and damn it if she |
| as I write, like gazing into a crystal ball. | | | | didn't run in front of a fast moving car. She |
| | | | crawled back to the side of the road. |
| The five crystals in the center of it are | | | | |
| perfect, in their own wild way, like the days | | | | I remember crying and kneeling beside her, |
| I spent in total conflict with myself, with | | | | going over her body, getting a sense of how |
| society and the world. | | | | badly she was hurt. A car pulled over and a |
| | | | young man asked to take me where ever I |
| It brings to mind one of my favorite Alphia | | | | wished to go. |
| stories, my golden German Shepard Collie of | | | | |
| the 1960's, the pre-Funk commune years, | | | | He had an old blanket and we carefully laid |
| occurring several months after the communal | | | | her on it. |
| caravan arrived in San Francisco. | | | | |
| | | | Then he drove Alphia and me to the big |
| We found our large Victorian house after | | | | rambling Victorian house that was our |
| several weeks of illegal camping around the | | | | temporary abode. |
| jagged Pacific shore hideaways and in the | | | | |
| many untamed parks for which the city is | | | | We prepared a bed for her with old blankets |
| famous. | | | | and rags. |
| | | | |
| The caravan people had remained disgruntled | | | | She'd look at us with a forlorn Muki eye, the |
| in spite of the constant dog/God guidance | | | | dog who joined me 28 years later to show me |
| surrounding us. | | | | true love. |
| | | | |
| A chasm developed between those who wanted to | | | | That look inspired me to slip into the meat |
| join the ranks of the work-a-day world, and | | | | department of a local Safeway, and steal one |
| the four of us who went on to establish the | | | | steak a day for her, and for her only. |
| Funky Farm community and knew that going to | | | | |
| work was antithetical to living creatively by | | | | Then we'd sit with her for hours, stroking |
| the seat of our pants. | | | | her neck and body and encouraging her to come |
| | | | back to us. |
| I had come to a place within myself where I | | | | |
| needed to live outside of the mainstream, | | | | The long intimate times we spent with her |
| established 9-5 ho-hum I'm beaten down, kill | | | | were patient and happy. We did not |
| me now style of existence I imagined my | | | | desperately plead with her to live rather |
| father ascribing to for his thirty-five | | | | than die. Rather, we coaxed her gently, |
| working years, at the same place, doing the | | | | showing her our love, and gave her the great |
| same job, everyday. I'd think of an | | | | option of living with a handful of rogues |
| exhilarating alternative, bet on that. | | | | completely alienated from society. |
| | | | |
| My life as a rip off artist now began in | | | | She opted to spend a few more years with us |
| earnest. | | | | in our experiment of living--dangerously. |
| | | | |