no goose in sight

we've seen the landfill rainbow

we've seen the junkyard of love

baby, it's no place for you and me
- bergquist/detweiler

i could hear the silvery poetry dripping slowly off the lips of karin bergquist from just the other side of the trees. she slipped through line after line of anecdotal evidences of the "the holy ghost haunting" that is poetry, is travel, is life. it's her smooth and effortless tone that makes me feel as if she is mystical... or happy... or else always stoned.

there isn't much more beautiful than over the rhine, i thought from my perch atop the dumpster. i pulled another garbage bag off the truck and swung it into the mass of rotting rubbish below. surely this is the junkyard of love...

musician david crowder and his beard
on the mainstage at wild goose.
photo: susi sahlman

and in fact i heard snatches of two great acts while emptying trash cans and filling up the portable landfill just behind the trees form the main stage at wild goose festival. aaron weiss, who sings for the folk band mewithoutyou played a set at the open mic with joyful jam-band the collection. brilliant stuff, from what i gathered.

i actually caught the end of the over the rhine show with some friends. there i ran into aaron weiss, and got to tell him that i loved his music earlier. no big deal. wild goose is one of those places where the universe converges in very beneficial ways for eating and drinking and conversation, where the next person you meet might be a famous speaker or an up-and-coming author.

the wild goose festival, which organizers say was influenced by hits such as greenbelt, sxsw and burning man, seeks to unite the christian left (and a bit of the not-so-christian left) together in a healing and empowering yearly event. a dual focus on art and theology functions for festival-goers as little more than a pretext for hugs and dance parties... for sharing food and staying up late together... for beer and hymns, and then more beer (and then more hymns).

what is unique about wild goose is its safe and loving atmosphere; its a place committed to caring for those deeply hurt by the harsh environments that are shaping so many in their everyday lives. for once, they find a place of safety and freedom. for some, the goose is the only safe family they know.

for me, the goose is a reminder of who i am; it's an environment in which i don't have to pretend to be secure or confident just to be accepted and loved. and for that, i am grateful.

oh, and...
corvallis folk: check out the wild goose happening at benton county fairgrounds august 31-september 2.