Poetry Out Loud, created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is a national recitation program in partnership with the State Arts Agencies of all 50 states. Late last year, I was hired by POL to coach local high school students. Working with Heather Woodward, Director of the Creative Writing Program at SOTA – SF School of the Arts, we recruited a group of ten students who actually liked the idea of memorizing poems! After a month of meeting with a group of amazingly talented SOTA kids we had five ready to participate in the city wide competition. Held yesterday afternoon at SOTA, the event was a fabulous slam with kids from SOTA, Lowell and Waldorf School reciting a wide variety of well loved poems. The winner, Maxfield Peterson, was one of my students. Congratulations, Max! Next, Max will travel to Sacramento to compete in the State Finals. The winner will go to Washington, DC!

I don’t know about how you travel or retreat, but I came on this trip not expecting to be ‘changed’ much. I figured I’d be lucky if inspiration struck and I got to play in the ocean once or twice. But, as with all my trips, I have been changed, and not as I expected. Usually, if I am moved, it is by the landscape, by the total joy of being someplace warm, wearing less clothes and waking up to the sun. Food is also a big inspiration as is art and architecture. This time, I have been changed by the people.

At the moment, I am at Maria’s Restaurant on Tercero Mundo(Main Street) listening to Netti, Suzanne’s Guatamalan guitar teacher picking romantic Spanish tunes without words on his guitar. Next, is Tamara, my friend and body worker who has just invited me back ASAP to stay in her apartment and work with her on building her Organic produce and body oil business. Then there’s Nicole from Entreamigos, and my sangha: Ben, the surgeon from Tacoma, Barbara Powell, YogaMa, the yoga and meditation teacher from Sante Fe and Adam from Vancouver. Today, along came Mary, who wants me to mentor her in her writing process.

So it’s been like that. And, although I’m happy to be going back to my ‘exciting’ life, this pace, this place and this space will be held in my heart for a long time.

After many years of working the government, permits and the granting systems, there is the manifestation of sustainable living here in San Pancho. One of the best examples is Entreamigos, a center founded by Nicole Swedlow that incorporates the only lending library in the village, a computer center, a recycling center and an art center. The feeling in entreamigos is welcoming, clean, and very third millenium.

Another hard worker for the cause is Tamara Bode, founder of spaharmonia. Tamara is a reiki certified body worker and massage therapist with all the appropriate papers that allow her to work in Mexico. She is running an organic farm and marketing her vegetabes and fruits at farmer’s markets. She is also selling her organic body and massage oils to the St. Regis and Four Seasons down here on the bay.

On the subject of organic, another activity (yes, beside writing, relaxing on the beach and drinking cervezas) is our little beach sangha which has come together completely organically. You’ll see us there every day at 10 AM. LIfe is easy. For now.