Poet Laureate Blog

 

Conrad Levasseur, Poet Laureate of Calaveras County,

speaking and writing on Travel

Link to podcast “Hungry Minds” interview with Levasseur

https://soundcloud.com/user-971403112/silverback-gorillamp3

Aran Levasseur talks with Conrad Levasseur about getting charged by a Silverback Gorilla, staring a deadly Mamba in the face, climbing an active volcano, and other travel stories. Conrad has conducted travel groups through over a hundred and twenty countries and worked as a wild river rafting guide in the western states. He created a 49 mile scenic walk for the San Francisco Ecology Center and directed Lodestar International Student Center for the University of California’s “International House.” He was a World Travel Destinations Consultant for decades. Conrad is also a poet and has published seven books of poetry. Currently he is the Director of Community Relations and Development at Ironstone Vineyards.

Conrad Levasseur is the first Poet Laureate of Calaveras County from July 2020 to July 2022. Contact him at calaveraspoet@gmail.com

 

This Tapestry  for Margaret

 

By Conrad Levasseur

 

This tapestry

we weave together.

Not quite like

in the days

of the Ancestors.

 

The totemic guides

today

hunted down & killed

for fear

of powers

grown foreign

to the rational mind.

 

The spiritual

interconnectedness,

sacredness

of all species …

forgotten.

The Earth,

wounded & scarred,

snatching our

fast lane attention

for us to

momentarily

stop

& listen

to the cries

of her many children.

 

The inhuman ravishings

among men & women,

the rape of basic rights,

incapable

of being grasped,

understood logically

by eye, ear & brain.

 

It is

The way it is

because it is.

 

But there is

another way

of seeing

of being born again

in a planetary heart

that stretches beyond

fundamentalist belief,

that honors

the equal beauty

of rock, tree, flower,

stream, air, animal,

bird, insect & fish.

That lovingly embraces

the full color species spectrum.

 

I do not pretend to

understand it,

consciously embody it,

live within its awareness

fully;

but, in times

of darkest,

greatest need

I am reminded

of the knowing of it

(forever always here)

through the spirit guides

& shamanic trails

they lead me on.

 

I have been

directly called upon

by jaguar, wolf, eagle,

bear, hummingbird, mountain lion,

deer & lizard.

and by numerous others

that secretly entered

through the back door

of my skull.

Reminding me

to stop-look-listen-feel-attune           myself

to That Outofwhich I Came.

 

The Planet burns with a fever

that we have inflicted upon it

And no matter how wild-erness,

rural, or urban we are …

let us know the cure …

by giving

back

the same.

Welcome to the Calaveras County Poetry Blog

Stay tuned for poetry posts, sharing of poetry craft, and more!

Linda Toren has a poetry program on KQBM, 90.7 FM, on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 3 pm. This week’s guest is the new Calaveras County Poet Laureate, Conrad Levasseur, interviewed by Linda.  Have a listen! Find out more about our new poet laureate and listen to some of his poems read aloud.

Conrad Levasseur was interviewed live Wednesday, July 29, at 3 pm,  on Linda Toren’s Poetry radio program, which can be live streamed at KQBM.org (click on Listen) 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month from 3:00-4:30 pm. The program can be picked up on the radio in Calaveras County, at 90.7 FM, or streamed from your tablet or phone or computer. Previous programs can be found at archive.org. Search Way With Words Linda Toren. 

Enjoy this article by the Ledger Dispatch about Conrad Levasseur.