Into the Wild Wood and Home Again

Taking my time getting going this morning. Yesterday was as it should be; sunny, warm, not humid, with lots of pool time and food. It almost felt celebratory.  That said, my heart still quakes with deep misgivings about the national crisis that is burgeoning forth. But since I've written about that a lot lately, I'll leave it alone for today. Suffice it to say, I will not let the evil that is proposed occur without opposition.  I'm not sure if today's weather will clear up or not; it's pretty overcast at the moment, but it's really warm again. So, we'll see what the day holds. I know there are house chores and grocery trips in my near future. We're bailing and having to figure out the damned dishwasher again (temperamental appliances make me annoyed). It appears to have gotten gunked up with food and grease; it always amazes me that we have to pre-wash dishes before we put them in. That said, G has cleaned it and we are running a deep clean cycle again. ...

I'm really having a hard time "celebrating" our "independence" this year. We'll gather as a family, enjoy the day, grill some food, and maybe get in the pool. But we do that often, as it is. Instead, I find myself almost frantically searching for a reason to have hope, given the toxic tenor of things. The wise words-- in fact the challenge-- of John Lewis come to mind. I try to hold onto them. I think we all need to accept his invitation. Lewis wrote this opinion piece just a few days before he passed away, knowing that he could no longer carry the standard, and we must--MUST-- do so, or we will lose all we say we cherish about this nation. He states, Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble. Voting and participating in the democratic process are key. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. You must use it because it is n...

It seems that, for a very long time, I've been struggling with must-do/want to do/ can't do/ should do, and what to do about (fill in the blank). Why do I feel so responsible ? Some people would say it's elder child training, or my type-A personality, or childhood "you must be busy" tapes. Maybe it's being a very sensitive person, easily frustrated and upset by situations I just know will not work out. Or my overdeveloped sense of justice and fairness being assaulted daily by the goings-on of nefarious, evil people.  I can't shake the feeling that if I try hard enough, pray enough, work faster and better, I can make a difference -- but the horrors persist.  Actually, that's kind of darkly humorous: my husband got me a tee shirt for my birthday that was on my wish list. It's a navy blue one with a lovely spray of flowers depicted, with the words (in delicate script) saying "The horrors persist...and so do I." I persist. It ain't easy, ...

If just about anything done by a person holding the office of president can be considered an "official act," then that would, logically, remove any chance of ever having an impeachment, right? Even if something was done that would be considered "high crimes and misdemeanors," if done by the president, then... it's all good, according to the majority of the current SCOTUS. They call themselves "originalists," yet they've effectively gutted the founders' intentions in one stupid, misguided decision. Settled law and now foundational principles are being shredded by a hand-picked group of bought-and-paid-for cronies. I'm following the discussion closely; my question is, can the rulings made by SCOTUS be vacated? And who can start the impeachment proceedings against justices? The majority has shown itself to be mortally flawed. Yeah, that's all I got. C

There are poems and poets that live in my head, and I gratefully give them space. Keats' " When I have Fears " and Wendell Berry's " The Peace of Wild Things " are particularly resonant for me, lately. Shelley's " Ode to the West Wind " begs consideration, as well as his " Ozymandias ." Jane Kenyon's " Otherwise " trickles through my brain on occasion, as well. I'm haunted by Frost's " Home Burial ." Whitman's "Song of Myself," verse 52, concludes with I bequeathe myself to the dirt, to grow from the grass I love; If you want me again, look for me under your boot-soles. You will hardly know who I am, or what I mean; But I shall be good health to you nevertheless, And filter and fibre your blood. Failing to fetch me at first, keep encouraged; Missing me one place, search another; I stop somewhere, waiting for you. The list is long, and there are reasons and seasons for why I love each poem....

Why do I care so much about having a book with real covers with my name on it? Is is a report card? Validation? Ego? I have a chapbook that is supposed to be released in February of 2025; the caveat is, there is a pre-sale requirement. If I/we don't sell at least 60 books ahead of printing, it likely will not exist. I'll be announcing that in the fall, so stay tuned. But that hurts a little. I have to hustle a book, sight unseen, or it won't ever see the light of day. I understand the publisher's point of view; it costs money to print, and let's be honest, poetry is not going to jump off the shelves, but if I can't get folks excited about buying ahead of it being in physical form, then it will die unseen. Sigh. It's a worry for another day. As I understand it, the kick-off for the push to sell books will be in October, so maybe I can figure out how to launch it. They are pretty good with promotional materials, and they will be blasting it out on social medi...

I've avoided talking too closely about politics for a while now, but I have some thoughts.  I'm sure we all have thoughts.  Do I wish we had a younger, more TV-charismatic Democrat running? Sure. But that's not the point. There are a lot of talented, intelligent people who are rising through the ranks, but they have not yet been tapped to represent the party at the highest levels. Yet.   That said, and in the wake of the non-debate (bluster, blather, bold-faced lies), I'd like to remind folks --and myself-- that the person who occupies the Oval Office is really not as important as the people who are elected to Congress or the ones who are selected to be in the Cabinet.  We are judged by the people we surround ourselves with. That is a fact, whether it is fair or not, but I think it's the whole damned point. We saw what kind of bootlicking sycophants, ruffians, and out-and-out treasonous criminals Trump surrounded (and still does) himself with. He has already claimed...