Night Tour

A Grand Tour is perhaps a collage of many Mini-Tours into new experiences, that often have little specific goal and are the better for it.  For me, one such adventure was a ‘Night Search’ in
Paris in 1965, allegedly a “must do” all night stint, though I cannot recall exactly where we learned of it.  Within mem’ried diffusion, methinks Woody and I made it up – a fun construct drawn from bits and snatches of rumors, books, travel guides and intuition.  At any rate, we decided to spend an entire night touring
Paris, with several specific agendas/goals:

to visit some “Caves” (bohemian nightclubs)

to walk along the
Seine by moonlight

to watch the street sweepers work

to steal some fruit from Les Halles

to beg some bread from a bakery

to watch the sunrise from the steps of
Montmartre

such a Tour should not be made alone, and we had just made the acquaintance of two girls from the States the day before.  That they would join us was never in doubt.  Now understand, in that decade, and given our upbringing, any sexual liaison was neither sought not expected – for others perhaps, but not our geeky selves.  During our 100 days in Europe many females, singly and groups, had attached themselves to us for protection and companionship – because they knew instinctively (or intuitively) that we were ‘safe’, and as this was the bond they were, and being so ‘chained to our integrity’, we were actual free beyond imagining.

The details of the night are unimportant – all expectations met and exceeded.  Yes, we held hands in cheerful abandon – and everyone dares a kiss ‘neath the Bridge at Pont Neuf and we shared a blanket shawl at sunrise at Sacré Coeur just as it should be.  But the true event was that throughout the night’s passage no conversation ever engaged “I Think,” or “I know.”  Every phrase was of “how I feel,”  “How that inspires me,” or “that makes me cry, or laugh, or …”

There were four sets of eyes scanning a strange world of wonder, to which we drew each other just to share the sense of awe and joy and love that we commanded.  I took four journeys that night through the gift of simple sharing of heart and ‘jeux de vie’.  As we expected nothing we found everything.  Language was no barrier and we touched a hundred lives – strangers who waved and smiled – understanding; yet we saw no other Americans; and on the fabled steps the new day was greeted in whispers in a dozen languages – none of them English.  We communicated in silence – not for shame of nationality, or fear of condemnation (early
Vietnam days), nor lack of passioned thoughts. 

The Night Tour had takes us each and all to a new level of understanding – a secret found in this City of Lights that I cannot share – except to write poetry of everything I see.  We parted at the Metro, never to touch souls again.  Yet somewhere they remember too, and reflect on how this Tour changed their life.

Woody and I discussed the experience many times, leading to the crafting of a philosophy called ‘Reflectionism’ – part of which is found in my Lanterns of the Abbey.  What I know to be true is that we are often too bound by ‘mind’, and rarely give ‘earth, and heart and spirit’ a chance.  I also know that had I walked those streets with someone close – sibling, soul-mate, lover, I would never have seen such wonder born of innocence.  And I would tell you to occasionally walk with a stranger, just because you can – and because I can, I must …

which is why I am one with Lemuria – where many of you stroll in sunlight while I walk the streets of night, and where one’s Twilight Hush gives birth to another’s Dawn, and heather grows upon the hill …

forever and at all time.

Trigor

Drovers Wives

 

 

 

“About seventeen miles below Claverton was the historic station of Coongoola, the first station on the Warrego formed by Messrs Williams and Sons as mentioned in Landsborough in the journal of his journey from the Gulf in 1863. Mr Williams, senior, an old man-of-war’s-man, accompanied by five stalwart sons and three brave daughters, drove his cattle and horses into Queensland immediately after the discoveries of Burke and Wills, and, with sheer courage as well as indomitable perserverance, occupied the country whereon they prospered, surrounded by thousands of hostile savages, with whom they endeavoured to be friendly, but nearly forfeited their lives in consequence. It happened upon one occasion that the young Williamses, going out for a muster, never dreaming that their home would be in danger, had left only one man, together with a travellers; but as it happened to come on to rain they turned back, and on reaching the station were surprised to find it in a state of siege, surrounded by hundreds of blacks, creeping up through the grass, drawing their spears after them between their toes. The inmates of the dwelling, however, had barricaded it, and firing through the loopholes, kept their assailants at bay; but as their ammunition was nearly exhausted they would have been overcome and massacred had not the young men returned in the nick of time. Each stockman, being armed with a revolver, and a good pouch of cartridges, the assailants precipitately raised the siege, and there was an exciting pursuit wherein the assailants obtained such practical experience of the prowess of their intended victims that it obviated any further attempt on their part to exterminate them. Shortly after this adventure the Williams family, finding themselves master of the situation, allowed the blacks to come into the station and make themselves useful. Upon one occasion they despatched a blackfellow on horseback to some outlying part of their run, but instead of performing his errand, he tied his horse up to a tree and went away hunting; whereupon the Williamses, having found the horse, interviewed him, and making him understand by the sun how long he had left the horse tied up, they tied the blackfellow to a tree for a similar period; whereby the nomads obtained a moral lesson upon the value of obedience, which was expected from them in return for food and clothes.

The Williams family, all working together, prospered through a succession of good seasons, during which their cattle increased. The sisters proved true heroines, accomplishing all their domestic responsibilities with such success that Coongoola obtained a reputation as being a stronghold of family devotedness. The Misses Williams were conspicuous in anticipating all their brothers requirements in the arduous working of stock, and the erection of stockyards and other improvements, whilst the brothers were most deservedly appreciated as excellent neighbours among whom brother pioneers found a ready welcome; and not a few deserving young adventurers had found such remunerative occupation among them as to obtain a good start to life. In those far off days - which may be called the good old times of the Warrego district - it was customary when an assistant had thrown his zeal into the development of the station to remember him a certain number of calves with a seperate brand. These would depasture on the run, and in a few years accumulate at such a rate as to form a substantial inheritance in a few years.

About forty miles below Coongoola is the town of Cunnamulla, the nucleus whereof had been a public house, store, blacksmith’s shop, and watchhouses. To the pioneer outward bound as well as to the pastoralist of the Far West travelling upon a business to the metropolis it was ever a welcome rendezvous. South of Coongoola, down the Warrego, the dominions of James Tyson extended even over the border of New South Wales.”

source: George Chale Watson - Building the Commonwealth