Gratitude
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough.
And more!
It turns denial into acceptance.
Chaos into order.
Confusion into clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast.
A stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past.
It brings peace for today,
and creates a vision,
For a better tomorrow.
by Al Kirkwood...poet, dumpster diver, Victoria BC.
Most will not even heard of the name Al Kirkwood, let alone even seen his face. Like his poetry, Al is unrefined, rough around the edges. The lines in his face look like they have been etched with a chisel, a road map revealing the many years of living rough on the street. Rough on the street, is an alley way, a storefront door way, under the blue bridge...your bag of earthly belongings your pillow, the sidewalk your bed mat. Al does have a routine to his life, he dumpster dives, recycles, sells what he finds and unbelievable, manages to even give some away to those in worse shape.
Al's a saint, with a love for Jesus...and alcohol. He does walk a narrow path, with deep ditches on each side that he tends to fall into from time to time. He is one of the most spiritual people I've met, he practices a kind of monasticism that baffles me.
The first time I met Al was down at The Seed. As our conversation unraveled, Al talked about writing and pulled open his back pack. It was filled with his life, not things...but words. There were note pads of all sizes, scraps of paper, napkins, pencils and pens. They were filled words, the mind, the heart and spirit of Al Kirkwood. Al spends literally most of his day writing poetry and short stories about life on the street, Jesus, God...alcohol, drugs, poverty...very raw. You might even call them, the Street Psalms, as there is dispair, sin, betrayal, pain, suffering, but there is also grace, redemption and hope.
Over the past year, with the help of friends, they've been typing out Al's words, trying to leave them as close to his as possible, with the hope they might be published.
Anyways we're hoping ( fingers crossed ) that Al will come to read his poetry for the benefit Sunday evening for the Mustard Seed. I say, fingers crossed because, remember the path with big ditches on each side...one never knows. Anyways, if Al doesn't show the honor falls upon me to read his words, and I don't say that lightly. To read the words of a poet, is read something that is deeply apart of them...most of Al's words come from a place I've never been.
So as I said above, there is a Mustard Seed benefit fundraiser this Sunday...here's the details.
The Mustard Seed...more than a food bank
Sunday February 22nd from 6:30pm til 8:30pm
( church ph.#- (250)-652-6311 or 652-6344 )
2159 Mt. Newton X-Rd.
Saanichton, BC
( Map )
For contact info: John and Gail Bones (250)-652-4002
The Mustard Seed...more than a Food Bank " An evening on awareness of what the Mustard Seed is all about. Stories, faces and places around the many diverse ministries of The Mustard Seed Church, an inner city church in the heart of Victoria. Into the evening we’ll weave the blues, alternative folk, poetry and more.
Cost: donation, all proceeds to the Mustard Seed Ministries
It was filled with his life, not things...but words. There were note pads of all sizes, scraps of paper, napkins, pencils and pens. They were filled words, the mind, the heart and spirit of Al Kirkwood.
Posted by: Term Papers | February 02, 2010 at 10:36 PM