Reflections on life’s journeys: A poem from Tamika Harmon’s Known and Unknown

For several years, I lived in Northwest Montana among a cool crowd of creative, hippie folk. (Before this I had thought that the only interesting people lived in big cities. Boy, was I wrong.) Jyoti was a friend of mine up there. Here’s a poem by a friend of hers, Tamika Harmon, another creative Montanan. The poem can be found in Known and Unknown, a book of poetry by Tamika.

Rolling Temple
for Jyoti

As I rumble along the road
I am wholly absorbed by
the way forward

A small picture in my rearview mirror
rustles in the wind briefly and dissolves

This road is sending tiny tremors
through everything I own
Through my body and mind
and even so

The distinguished composure at my side
coasts along in me between my old life
and my new

Ushered in
to full immersion
We soar on wings that know the way

This trek looks quite ordinary
And is so completely Divine Y

“The distinguished composure at my side coasts along in me between my old life and my new.” Love that line. Over the past 15 years, I’ve made the L-O-N-G drive from Montana to the Bay Area many, many times, and Jyoti has had her own many journeys as well. In the past year, another friend has made the journey–packing up everything she owned to move down here to the Bay Area, and once again, packing it all up to go back to Montana. Each time, I can see the imaginary “distinguished composure” in the passenger seat next to us, accompanying us on our journeys. I can see each of the three of us, a car packed with everything we own, not knowing what lies ahead…

Little did we know then that we were soaring on wings that knew the way.

Known and Unknown by Tamika Harmon is available for sale on Amazon.com. If you’d like to contact Tamika directly, send me an email.