Poems, Prayers, and Promises

Maroon Bells in Aspen Colorado On top of Independence Pass heading into Aspen, Co.

Lake Irwin in Crested Butte, Co.On Hwy 257 coming out of Cottonwood Pass, in Colorado.

I found myself TV surfing last night and came across a repeat of a PBS special on John Denver from 2005. Before I go any further, I wholeheartedly and without shame admit I was and still am to this day a huge John Denver fan. I know there have been a number of critics that assailed him and his music, citing a "pollyanna" image, an "aw shucks" frivolity to his personna. I truly believe that the world lost one of the great song writers and poets when he unfortunately died in a 1997 plane crash. And while there was a much "I can't believe it's true" mentality to his celebrated marriage to his first wife Annie, especially after they divorced......see I told you it was too good to be true, I identified with him in more ways than one. The title of this post I've aptly named after one of his (and could very well be my favorite)songs. I truly believe this was a man of true poetry and a unique connection not just into his soul but mine as well. The many songs he wrote, "Sunshine on My Shoulders", "Perhaps Love", "Rocky Mountain High" and "Annie's Song" all have such a poignancy for me. I can't tell you how many times I've been to Colorado but I will say that many of my most favorite times were shared with "Boom". "You fill up my senses, like a night in the forest, like a mountain in spring time, like a walk in the rain"..... John wrote those beloved words for Annie.
Here are several of my favorite images from some trips to Colorado. The first one is of the Maroon Bells in Aspen Colorado. The next one is on top of Independence Pass on the way into Aspen. The other from a trip to Crested Butte when Keller, Chloe, and Boom went camping in August and we hunkered into our bags (with Keller desperately trying to join me)to the sound of this "pinging" on the tent to wake up with nearly 8 inches of snow on the ground. The final is one of me with Keller and Chloe from the same trip but three days later. Who said the weather can change faster in St. Louis than Colorado??