For this Fort Report, I wanted to share a poem by someone who has become a good friend to me: Dr. Joel Jones. Joel is a president emeritus of Fort Lewis College and is well known both on campus and in the community as a leader, teacher, and all around great man. What some may not know about Joel is that he is also an accomplished poet.
For 50 years, Joel has been writing poetry, and just recently Dr. Shelley Mann collected many of his works and assembled them into a book entitled “I Hold the Stone and the Stone Holds Me.” It is a wonderful read from a brilliant, warm and beloved man. If you would like a copy, you can purchase one at Maria’s Bookshop in Durango or on Amazon.com. Proceeds will go toward Joel’s scholarship fund for FLC students.
“Rock Walk”
by Joel Jones
To touch
is to be touched.
To see
is to be seen.
I hold the stone
and the stone holds me,
cooling and touching
my soul.
I hear the wind
curving through the canyon
carving new striations,
signatures of time,
and the slickrock hears
my whispers, the
soul-sighs
linking me to all time.
Thank you, Joel!
Sincerely,
Dene Thomas
President, Fort Lewis College