A friend asked me via email, “… just wondering why you are terrified of every angel? Even good angels?” The source of the question was the poetic assertion from Rilke, “Every angel’s terrifying” that I chose as a tagline for this blog. Her question came straight, not tongue in cheek, rhetorical. I do not…
A friend introduced me to The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame, published in 1908. It is a children’s story of the adventures of Mole, Rat, Toad and Badger. After reading the short book I learned the story had been a favorite of my youngest daughter. Kenneth Grahame, a banker, served as the…
In a speech on January 28th at Brussels’ International Privacy Day, Tim Cook CEO of Apple had this to say. Here is an excerpt from his speech: “Technology does not need vast troves of personal data stitched together across dozens of websites and apps in order to succeed. Advertising existed and thrived for decades…
Snow last night. It is well that snow imposes a stillness upon all activity. A still mind, like an unblemished surface of fresh snow is a gift. There is much in the course of human affairs, tortured and neurotic, — we are a troubled mammal unlike our cousins (rabbits, raccoons, etc.) without language or…
I remember as child, to have a day off from school, away from the obligation, from the mental work/stress of learning, (the profession of childhood) was a release that filled me with anticipation. The times have changed, as change is the given, — that up-welling of joy remains the same. Our two grand children,…
In a noisy bar in Avalon I tried to call youBut on a midnight watch I realized why twice you ran away Think aboutThink about how many times I have fallenSpirits are using me larger voices callin’What Heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten.. So we cheated and we lied and we testedAnd…
Today I awakened before dawn intent on walking into nearby Almond Marsh before sunrise. I enjoy taking a walk with camera in hand. Predictably the camera is an aid to careful observation. A camera is a mechanical device that records only what the lens captures, without the distractions of a human mind. Are we…
A friend revealed last night that her cousin was dying. She had little to say in terms of the detail, but it was clear that she was emotionally spent. Love means grief over the torturous journey that a beloved must take, aware that debilitating bodily pain, as well as the beloved’s mental suffering cannot…
It is snowing hard. The stone buddha on the hill is shrouded with white. Nature is “what it is.” There is no mask, no screen of projection, a proffered interpretation which Nature offers to the human mind. There is no wrap of culture with regard to Nature, as is the case with human affairs. …
Today is Monday. Preparations for the impeachment trial of former president Trump are underway. I heard on NPR someone interviewed about what the president knew about the plans of the mob who overran the Capitol on January 6th. Does a mob have plans as such? There is abundant evidence that the former president feels…
