My slave holding people of the mid 1800s who lived in the South deserve more consideration for their brutal attitudes toward blacks, —than do we for our racism toward people of color. The slave trade, referred to by Southeners as “our peculiar institution” was the fading, dying residue of an ancient institution. The Slavery…
Yesterday late afternoon as we returned from a family birthday celebration, a dark towering bank of clouds filled the horizon to the north. From past experience I knew that rain was in those clouds, maybe lightening and a lot of wind. Everyday it is the same. In some direction a threatening cloud fills the…
We live by the economy of gifts, the only economy that will last. To be in one’s right mind is to know the right use of gifts. To ask for more than is given, to take more than is given back, is to have less, and finally nothing. It follows the law of Nature,…
Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea, But sad mortality o’er-sways their power, How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea, Whose action is no stronger than a flower? O, how shall summer’s honey breath hold out Against the wreckful siege of battering days, When rocks impregnable are not so stout,…
This poem came my way this morning. To be human is not fixed, a given. Its a process of learning. The curve of a individual life lived can result in wreckage, or complex beauty. I wonder if it is possible to achieve the latter without a relationship to animals? A PRAYER TO TALK TO…
I’ve mentioned that on Wednesday in the early morning hours the suburbs north of Chicago were struck by a series of thunder storms and torrential rain. The towns of Mundelein, Gurnee and Libertyville received in excess of 6 inches of water within the span of 4 to 5 hours. Before light my sleep was…
The Media by C.H. Sisson (What and Who, 1994): 1 The world is fabricated by A gang of entertainers who Have replaced God Almighty. The universe, made in six days, Is re-made every day by those Who hear all that the newsman says, For whom fact is replaced by gloze. 2 The air is…
Clear running stream clear running stream Your water is light to my mouth And a light to my dry body your flowing Music, in my ears. free, Flowing free! With you in me. —-Gary Snyder, Water Music II In the words of Dogen: How is it with us who are walking on the mountains…
Torrential rains last night. The weather forecast maps displayed a line of thunder storms portending heavy rain, two to five inches, to fall within the span of a few hours. Persons living near creeks and rivers were warned of flooding. My parents generation did not have this precision of weather forecasting, nor did they…
Our final Philosophy Group discussion was held at Beans & Leaves. It was a full house. Food and drink were consumed to celebrate the work and friendships cultivated around the tables for the past several years. Our final meeting, was a beginning, the fold point for a renewed, vibrant, youthful iteration. For many reasons…
