Once a week, Quinn walks up the hill to visit Arbelia. He brings her bouquets of wild flowers and pages of questions. Quinn is a 24 year old small town boy who’s been traveling and studying. Arbelia is a 79 year old poet, storyteller, witch, gardener, mother and grandmother. She has been incarcerated for 24 years. Quinn is interested in consciousness expansion and Arbelia used to guide people on Shamanic journeys. They were introduced by a mutual friend and have been having visits together for a year or so. They began to scratch the surface and eventually carved out a deep friendship. A real realm of their own. They’ve been calling it traveling. With word play along the way. So once a week, Quinn heads down to the prison for a brief visitation and he and Arbelia hit the road together.

Quinn: How did this happen?
Arbelia: You mean this here?

Q: I mean this here now.
A: I don’t know anything.

Q: I’m having trouble with all of this, Arbelia. I need help.
A: I’m with you. I’m not having an easy time with all of this, either. Try to just detach for a moment… You won’t die… Disconnect and feel how loose it is!… Wooooo!…
From here it looks like a manifestation of the Mind, Quinn… Nothing more than this here… We go from here…

Q: What the hell is going on here, Arbelia?
A: Is it too much for you?… Or not enough?

Q: It’s intense.
A: It’s both at the same time…

Q: Then I choose both.
A: Good… Be careful.

Q: Careful of what?
A: Well, be care-full. Full of care for the questions… For wrapping your heart around the mystery… Be careful of this and that… Acting like you know…

Q: What about answers?
A: Answers?… Answering the moments?… Always changing?… All massive manifestations of the mind? All correct responses? I don’t know… There’s an answer…

Q: How can we fix the problems without solid answers?
A: Solve with solutions, maybe?… Be solid in the center? My momentary solution for you is to keep those questions flowing. The life of service! It works for the soul! Keep the laughter flowing and you’ll break through… Serious stuff solved with the chuckle creek solution…

Q: Is it my fault?
A: No, baby, it’s your responsibility. It’s your gig. Play well. Do it for the ancestors and the babies.

Q: How can I help?
A: You are here! Right here now with the rest of the universe! You are needed here… Otherwise you’d be somewhere else… Work on You. Turn to Us. Love. You are helping me by asking and bringing flowers, baby… Think to love-better not to know-more. No such thing as knowing… I’m just talking… Are you just listening?

Q: I’m trying to do it all at once. Ask everything and listen to it all at once.
A: I was young once, too… And now I’m old. And somehow I’m that same girl… All of her at once!

Q: Is it better to listen in or to use my voice?
A: I also woke up in a body with a perspective and a choice… I thought you said you choose both?

Q: I choose you!
A: I choose you, too.

Q: We choose us.
A: Now you’re talking!

Q: Will you forgive me for all the horrible things I’ve done?
A: Oh yes! Will you forgive me for all of the horrible things I’ve done, too?

Q: Yes!
A: Yes!

Q: We choose us, but will our Grandchildren forgive us?
A: Can we choose a bigger us? Will you forgive my generation?

Q: For the mess of industry?
A: For the mess of life?… If they can breathe and drink water they have the forgiveness choice. Choosing forgiveness! Oh my God! We can choose, baby… But we have been sick on dirty water.

Q: Are we healing?
A: Oh yes. And hurting… Like the water… Both at the same time.

Q: Have you ever done acid?
A: Yes. I’m still recovering.

Q: What do you mean recovering?
A: I took acid and the covers came off… But then it turned out it wasn’t acid. It was just paper. It was a little piece of the Big Tree. It was breathing… It’s having trouble breathing now though, my boy.

Q: Is it too late?
A: Never. Are you trying to get out of this? Because you can’t get out of it, baby… Especially with suicide.

Q: What’s wrong with suicide?
A: It ain’t gonna work, because it ain’t the end when you die.

Q: How do you know?
A: I don’t know anything, really… I’ve just died before. Many many many times. And I’m going to die again soon… I’ll still be this, though. I’ve got a feeling. And I’ve got work to do.

Q: Is it in your head?
A: The feeling is flowing… I’m not just in my head working. I’m in your head, too.

Q: I don’t feel like I’m flowing.
A: You’re flowing in my head. In my mind’s eye you are the river itself, baby…

Q: What do I look like?
A: Ahh!…

Q: Thank you.
A: Thank you.

Q: You are so alive.
A: You are so dead!

Q: You are so far out.
A: I am everything, baby… A tiny little piece…

Q: What do I do when you’re gone?
A: Is it too much or not enough?

Q: It hurts.
A: Yes indeed. But I’ve discovered the fountain of youth. The Healing Waters… Don’t worry too much about me, I’ve got a secret swimming hole… And you know about the chuckle creek solution, right?

Q: I don’t know anything, but I’ve got a feeling. And I’ve got work to do.
A: That sounds good to me… You just go give yourself to the water and you’ll find yourself there. I’ll be there, too. Everything, nothing. It’s not going anywhere. Now they’re telling me it’s time.

Q: What if I slip away?
A: Bring yourself back here… I’m here. I’m for you…

Q: It’s time for me to go back out into the Field of Life?
A: Yes. And it’s time for me to abide in the Fortress of Death… We will radiate.

Q: Thank you for everything. I will see you soon.
A: You’re welcome for nothing. Sooner than later, baby.

Read the Week of the Shadow
Read the Week of the Steeple