The Guru of Jerusalem: In the shadow of James K Baxter

James K Baxter was arguably New Zealand's foremost creative poet, writer and playwright of the 20th century. It did not take me long to delve into the man's poetic genius and complexities of character that he once was. Baxter was the man of many talents who had been a gloomy youth of dysfunctional behaviour, a sex maniac, academic drop-out, odd jobs man, teacher of young children, once divorced, an uncontrollable alcoholic who ultimately became a most gifted counsellor of alcoholics, drug addicts, founder and pioneer of a community for lost souls of the street and seekers of a new wave of communal life that lingers to this very day. Baxter was a searcher of perception, an extreme pacifist with an eye towards truth and personal distinction, religiosity, and death. My own life seemed to parallel his in so many ways. So it was after a great deal of soul searching of his life that I concluded to use his life experience to draw a template to write my own life's experience in his shadow. James K Baxter died in 1972. He was only forty-six years old. When he died the whole country mourned. And whilst his spiritual essence still lingers over the Maori community at Jerusalem, his bones have long since turned to ahses. It is hoped that this little story gives you the reader insight into eternal life as it did for James K Baxter. As for me in my dotage, it further enhances my reason for being, as I tramp in the valley of the shadow of death always in search of the light.