While traveling through Costa Rica in 1992 I came across a poem by Robert Mueller, hand-written and framed on a wall in a guest-house perched on the side of a volcano. The writing moved me to my core and I thought about it constantly for a long time. In '95, I was back in that country looking for a place to settle my family and made a special trip to that guest house to re-read Mueller's poem. That time I wrote it down in my journal.

His poem has become something of a (rather long) mantra for me. I carved three of what I feel are some of the most poignant lines into the base of this sculpture. They read, "Love passionately your miraculous life", "Fill your heart and lungs with liberty" and "Do not wait for a better world". I have tried, with no success, to find or learn about Robert Mueller. If anyone reading this knows something about him, I would be very grateful to hear from them.

This sculpture is my interpretation of Mueller's poem. The hand is reaching out from life's rip-tide of confusion towards the unlimited possibilities of authentic living. There is a pool of clear water in the black stone wave which becomes a dark mirror. It reflects light through the white, translucent alabaster hand, making it glow. Light emerges from darkness. The water also holds the image of the hand's underside. Looking closely at the reflection in the water, you can see the bones of the hand, the structure that supports the energy that is reaching to grip the full potential of life.