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Haiku My Heart ~ DeTurk Round Barn

MARCH 1, 2019

horses go around
neighing throughout space and time
will you take a ride?

Santa Rosa, California has one of the seven remaining historic round barns left in the United States. Built in the late 1880’s this unique barn is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I liken it to stepping in to the Gothic Cathedrals of Europe. My body resonates with the space and I’m reminded of what happens when we build buildings with intentional spaces of beauty.

Lovingly refurbished and kept in pristine condition, this gem of a building still showcases original timbers, bent and molded to the rounded space, as well as the wonky angles of board placements that somehow work. The beautiful hardwood floors hint at the humble foundation of dirt and a time where the horse was the only means besides traveling by foot or boat of going anywhere, and the thought of you looking at this through a box and across cyberspace was unthinkable.

Originally, having a round barn made it easy to have the stalls on the outer space and an exercise ring at the center, with a hayloft above. But I wonder… if that was truly the intention of the builders… what were they thinking? Who were they? And where did they get their inspiration for these round designs? Kind-of-like my origin of labyrinths questions…

From upstairs you can see the horse weather-vane from the modern skylights that bring natural light to the entire space.

There is also a mammoth wind-vane for moving heat and cool air to the space below.

I have recently had the honor and privilege of gathering together in this space with some amazing artists, musicians, dancers and thinkers, in a public participatory event that features live music, interactive creative experiences, dance, poetry and participatory performances in our beautiful round barn for the March 2, 2019 event of _If The Land Could Speak_. If you see this invitation before the event, I would love for you to join us!

[FREE EVENT: TO REGISTER CLICK HERE](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-land-and-me-if-the-land-could-speak-public-performance-event-tickets-55168075198)

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For more Friday haiku my heart
please visit Rebecca and other poets
at [recuerda mi corazon](http://corazon.typepad.com/)

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