There is a light rain falling. Rain began yesterday. I never complain about the rain. What I fear is drought depriving vegetation of nourishment in the growing season. Severe drought stresses mature trees, making older trees susceptible to disease. I feel kinship to trees. Trees provide shelter to a variety of mammals, birds, even…
It is Friday morning. After rising, switching on the iphone, a text message was waiting. A friend asked if I could meet him at Limestone Coffee Shop at 7. I had ten minutes. I pressed ahead with the bowl of cheerios, grabbed my coat and was out the door. Arriving at the coffee shop…
Shaking inwardly again this morning. I planned to write only about Rock N Roll. After I write what I have to say about that, — more is to be said about the war in Ukraine. Hold On, I’m Comin’ By Sam and Dave Now don’t you ever be sad Lean on me when times…
This tune comes from my past. It is a “message in a bottle” a whisper in my ear from the god. Something like Socrates’ daimonion, which from a child had spoke cautionary messages to him… The whispered message of this old song, that we are borne along by time. The passage of time is…
Do we not all “live” at the Hotel California? “You can check out anytime but you can never leave…” Bombs and rockets rained down last night. Russian missiles struck at least three cities in western and central Ukraine, and there were reports of fierce fighting on the outskirts of Kyiv. — according to the…
The Tuesday morning sun shines brilliantly framed by blue sky. There are no clouds. I understand why the Maya and many other peoples worshiped the sun. The sun, our sun, gives life. Sol Invictus, the unconquered sun, was a god of the later Roman empire. Sol was of supreme importance, until Constantine abandoned Sol…
It is snowing. There is purity in a cover of snow. That’s how I’d prefer life. In my imagined world, in paradise all would be love, peace and harmony. In this world there is friction and response. That is all that you can expect. And sometimes there’s violence, immediate, extreme, murderous. Survival and…
Let This Darkness Be a Bell Tower By Rainer Maria Rilke Quiet friend who has come so far, feel how your breathing makes more space around you. Let this darkness be a bell tower and you the bell. As you ring, what batters you becomes your strength. Move back and forth into the change….
Saturday, late February, and out-of-doors is bitter cold. This is the cold season, a time suited for reflection. Waking early, making my way to Starbucks, two thoughts were looping in my mind. I checked my iphone news feed soon after rising. I felt relief that Ukraine is not yet fighting, dying to fend off…
Took a walk yesterday; a mid-winter warmup, the sidewalk was melted clear of ice. Walking past Almond Marsh I felt sad, resonating with the gray sky, the muted brown of the decaying cattails. The melt water was a sheen of reflected light upon an ice covered marsh. The world before me appeared ethereal drained…
