Outdoor Adventures, Sacred Trails

By Tim Riter

In the world he writes about, Tim hitches his bike to a star. It doesn't matter whether his poem is about a hard ride or a solid ride, a great relationship or one that never works out, a strong upbeat spiritual connection or one that's a drawn-out struggle, Tim hangs with that star and delivers poems that refresh, invigorate, inspire, and put good things in the heart.

 

It's impossible to go on a ride with Tim and not come away with more - more hope, stronger spirits, a better sense of humor, and a renewed connectivity with nature, God, and your soul. His writing is clear. It's easy to ride with. It's rich with creation. And it definitely hums with the music of the road.

This book is, in a word, awesome. It's like having a great meal with terrific sides and a solid drink. You can have as much as you like of Tim's poetry at a sitting, and that will satisfy, or you can stay with his words a whole lot longer, and that will satisfy even more.

 

The poems shine. Spend some time here and come away not only entertained, but with a new perspective on the way things are as well as the way things ought to be. Five stars.

 

Murray Pura is an award-winning author. His books include A Gathering of Suns, Earth, The Sunflower Season, Zo, and Majestic and Wild.

• Language: English
• Publisher: MillerWords, LLC
• Release date: Aug 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201837914

Tim Riter

Avid outdoorsman, motorcyclist, and trout fisherman, Tim Riter has been a pastor, educator, and author of ten previous books. He loves seeing God touches in daily life and requires regular mountain fixes to maintain his sanity. His southern California home is close to the beaches and mountains that feed his soul. You can read his blog Unconventional at timriter.com.

Book preview

Opening

Allowed circumstances can constrict our lives—our busyness in work, house maintenance, even hobbies. Life becomes mundane, somewhat superficial. But chosen circumstances can also free us from the mundane. For some of us, that choice takes us outdoors. Nature. Travel and Adventure. Places and People. To the sacred. I’ve long known that as I get into nature, that my soul grows.

Maybe that path speaks to you. If so, I invite you to journey the outdoor paths through poems. Where scenic vistas humble us. Where solitude provides opportunities to ponder and grow and understand. Where different places touch us with unexpected delights. Outdoors. Where our inner person becomes transformed.

THE WORLD OF NATURE

A Man of his Times

A man of his times

my dad’s granddad knew his Utah mountains

how to trail a grizzly

to gain a rug

how to stalk the wily Weber River trout

to feed a growing family

how to read the shapes and shades on the horizon

to prepare for the snow soon to arrive

A man of my times

I know suburban southern California

how to navigate the lanes on crowded freeways

to save a few rushed minutes

how to gauge proper dress

to go as casual as I can

how to craft a resume with keywords

to gain a computer’s attention and a job

So have I gained

or lost?

A Humbling Trip

Skillfully crafting a lesson

the students responded

and I grew a little inside

Plumbing the depths of a Bible text

beginning to comprehend its meaning

I exulted

and I grew a little inside

Speaking at a conference

touching lives

and I grew a little inside

I need a mountain trip

where massive mountains humble my soul

where tumbling streams remind me I’m not the source

where a star-speckled nighttime sky

shows me my true size

A Sacred Place

––––––––

As the mist embraced the redwoods’ crowns

absorbing all sound but the quiet purr of the bike’s motor

a holy hush touched all

a humble revelation of God’s majesty

our puniness

and his love

A Harley’s rumble here might be profane

A Sierra Morning

––––––––

That first line of sunlight

striking the aspen-covered ridge

That first sip of just brewed coffee

as