On July 11th, the Old Frog Pond Farm and Studio poetry community lost our dear friend David Davis . Even as he battled the cancer that eventually would take his life at 73, Dave remained a frequent and much admired contributor to the annual Plein Air poetry project. This month’s featured poem originally was published in Paths Tracks Trails, Old Frog Pond & Studio's 2018 Plein Air Poetry chapbook. Of his inspiration for the poem, Dave wrote, “This poem was written on the path to the Matisse bell. After writing the first draft, I recited the last two lines to Linda Hoffman, who replied that there is a similar Zen koan: How do you go straight along a road with 99 curves? The path to the bell strikes me as a physical embodiment of that koan.” Indeed, Dave’s own life was a road with many curves — from Colorado to Morocco to Hawaii to Massachusetts; from Vietnam era conscientious objector to Peace Corps volunteer to professor of philosophy and logic to AI pioneer and entrepreneur. Add to that, of course, poet, birder, husband, father, and grandfather.

Farewell, Dave; we thank you for the wonderful legacy of words and friendship you have left us.

On the Path to the Bell

By David Davis

You could go directly to the bell,

up over the ridge and down,

bushwhacking your way.

But the path that exists

goes right, then left, then curves,

taking us by the pond

bordered by moss and flowers

and rocks with small buddhas

sitting mindfully on them.

I enjoy the bell more

because the path has taken me away from it

to show me these things

and when the path leads me back

I am filled with the pond and flowers and buddhas.

I am different, and ready.

So take the path. Walk where the buddhas wait.

The crookeder the path the more it’s straight.

David Davis, Old Frog Pond Farm and Studio Plein Air Poetry Walk, 2016. (Photo by Jim Richmond)

David Davis was a member of the Powwow River Poets Workshop and the founder of the Poet in Residence program at Joppa Flats Audubon Center, where he served as poet in residence from 2012-2017. Dave’s four books of poetry include The Joy Poems and Market Town and Other Poems, both of which dealt with his determination to “get more joy out of life” in spite of his terminal diagnosis. The latter collection was published only days after his passing.