Hi. 

This is a pre-departure postcard from edge of the world, setting for The Haida Gwaii Lesson, the Inkshares book you are supporting, and to where I am headed tomorrow. 

I will stay on the islands (there are 158 of them) indefinitely; for as long as it takes to gather what I need from the amazing and exceptional Haida people about their long, determined and successful struggle for land title and sovereignty. 

Their homeland is remote and communications uncertain, so you may not hear from me again until I’m home, probably some time before summer ends, hopefully full of insight and inspiration which I will share with you then.

Thanks again for your support.

Mark Dowie

I should be exhorting you all to PUSH PUSH PUSH the Inkshares campaign, but I'd rather just share a poem with you I just wrote. This will appear in a Jonas/Rime chapter of Asteroid Made of Dragons.

“Last light of the sun against gravestone sky, 

dream of the shadows all come to die. 

White sand, gray stone, green field all bear the scar, 

of heroes’ blood and silver star. 

They walk in steel, they die in stone, 

Children of Gilead sing alone. 

Black sea, white sand, the lives they fall, 

from broken horns still sound the call. 

Where Night and Beast dare wear the crown, 

Knights of Gilead will throw them down. 

Last light of the sun shine across the waves, 

bones of valor down in their graves.  

Songs of blood and journey’s end, 

the price of heroes for shadow’s end. 

Sundown comes and Gilead stands, 

sundown comes and Darkness plans.”

Eh, probably needs a revision or two -but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

Derek