Poets, Pariahs and Black Dogs

“In the wilderness there exists a stillness, a pureness of self and silence. If you’re lucky and if you listen carefully, you may find a secret enduring; a vibration carried in songs, prayers and poems.” Terry Trever wakes up one morning and comes to the dismal conclusion that his life is not worth living. It’s at this crossroads he must decide to either “commit suicide” or “commit life”. Redemption requires risk and can only be achieved by facing ones fears. When all of life's daily distractions are stripped away, there exists a place constructed of either madness or peace. This is where Terry must go to achieve his “soul purpose”. This is a story of adventure, love, humor, revelation and ultimately the struggle to find ones way, ones Tao. In a world filled with fools and frauds, to be authentic, to be original, to discover oneself is the greatest of challenges. “Know thy self.”

"The hardest thing about changing your life, is changing your life." This stark reality occurs to the protagonist Terry when he comes to the raw conclusion that “He can’t get there, from here”. To find his “way”, his "Tao", he goes on an external and internal journey that requires him to leave everything behind to seek redemption. On his journey he crosses paths with a sage, gang bangers, a monk, rednecks, drug addicts and an enigmatic old boxer. In a humorist encounter, he meets an intriguing river guide who challenges his way of looking at the world. Her Zen like simplicity and passion for life awaken thoughts and emotions he had long ago abandoned. Of all the adversaries and allies he meets, ultimately it is his internal self that he must come to know, understand and trust. Some dream, many sleepwalk, but only a few have the courage to look life square in the eye and realize what they’ve become. And even fewer have the courage and determination to do what it takes to become what they were meant to be.

Victor lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains. He is also a musician who has composed several music projects including one music/spoken word album entitled "Jazzoretry" (available at cdbaby.com). He has completed a book of prose and poetry entitled “Prose, Poems Rants and Raves---A Round Trip Ticket to Infinities Wall”. He enjoys nature and spends much of his time hiking, skiing, kayaking and taking photographs and playing horrible golf (but still loving it). Writing, playing music and exploring life and nature is what consumes his time.