Yet another morning after yet another rain, the alley shows the proof of last night’s storm— the puddles in the gravel, in the pavement’s recesses. Trees always look greener in the morning. They suffer the worst in storms, but somehow manage to recover—taller, stronger. It takes us longer to find our strength again. We get…
Tag: resilience
May 28: View of a Pine
what do they call those? candles? that the pine lifts skyward still. she is winter-killed, red around her trunk, and cramped, encamped between two houses, not the forest she expected at my window as she rises, spring by spring she bears away any excuse for not trying. there is wind, there is sun, there is…
May 23: Heart
become accustomed to the weight memory lays across your heart lift it anyway become schooled in the crack and creak pain of rising one more time kneel anyway numb your skin to the lash every absence a thorn lean in somewhere in all this brush and scrub meaning and renewal send green tight curled leaves…
May 22: Certainty of Trees
Gratitude to the rain. Gratitude to the sky. Gratitude to the many tiny things. What are we supposed to do? Arise into cities, bloom and shed light? It’s true, I don’t think much about how my brothers live. There they stand, gnarled still offering softest green in faithful bargain, to the sky. Look how their…
Worm Medicine Boogie!
A little meditation on dealing with life, and remembering to dance! If you like disco, if you like gardening, if you want to dance in your kitchen – for you! Originally posted in 2018.
On Land Acknowledgment in the Time of Climate Worries
Recently, I was privileged to address a gathering of the Society of Friends (aka Quakers), to offer perspectives on Land Acknowledgments. I was moved by their desire to ‘get it right,’ to engage with this new ritual protocol in a meaningful and authentic way; moved, but not surprised, given that the person who invited me…
When The Way Seems Long
When the way seems long, or any burden heavy, we have songs Witness how love and courage lift and reweave the broken strands Ue O Muite Arukou, by Kyu Sakamoto, was a huge hit in 1961, and the English version – ridiculously titled ‘Sukiyaki,’ which is a bit like translating, for example, Unchained…
Worm Medicine Boogie!
Learning, day by day, about sound and video programs; spent the afternoon learning about Garageband and catching up on news of the local arts, with the talented and generous Darrin Hagen. Thanks, pal. (don’t judge him by the quality of my work, mind you). Still such a beginner. Might as well have fun with it,…
Gala: Gliding as Prophecy
Young women glide in hanbok, with hand drums and dance. This is their country, and they sway, decorated in flowers. I remember horror and indignation from embassy staff, but i see it still, undeterred: In their endurance, in their 5000 years of absorbing invasion, immigration, subjugation and some alchemical fermentations fed by the earth i…
April 5: Landing
for Catherine Sewell, who walked on at 39, or else would have been 55 this day would she have laughed? i met our old colleague in Superstore talk turned to landing kids so as to break that trope of Indian comes to City and skids out of control into alcohol, crime and life as a…
Day 26: Blessing Song
when i first came to the city, my fear rode on my back cities don’t love indians. but i didn’t know better than to walk everywhere, because i could. and i began to admit there was life all around me, from the first crack of dandelion leaves up in march, through the stubborn winter song…
Walking the Dark
Just read another blog, from another friend, speaking about yet one more experience of darkness. One more person who appears so bright, who turns out to be struggling. I guess that’s it. When we walk in the darkness, we might forget that, to others, we are a light. So, in this new year, just want…
Prairiepomes 