As we move toward an election in November that could ring down the curtain on the American experiment — not a republic, not a monarchy, how about an autocracy overseen by a malignant narcissist? — I find myself needing to knit to calm my nerves.
Read More I’m missing a best friend, / right now, this instance in my life, / the one you cry to when / rumination churns a riptide ...
Read More ‘Lights’ by Rebecca Skeen-Webb encodes her spiritual DNA and deeply observant self. It is an honor to sing it every time I am up for it, seeking to channel its worthiness, heartfulness, and truthfulness. Here is a music video homage to the song of a much-missed human being.
Read More He digs into his wallet. Hands over a $20 bill. God bless you, she says. But where's the god for lost girls in a squalling storm? She turns to go back into the Taco Bell. He shuts off his car. Gets out. Do you have a phone? No. She says. Anyone at all to call?
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Post-eclipse, thrilling with fellow humans at what we had just witnessed, it was a stark reminder of how few and precious are the sweet collective experiences we now share in an America riven by engineered dispute. And how utterly important it is to be reminded of the significance of shared wonder.
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And, so, we light up our smokes. Then, ponder the / shape and proximity to clouds of what escapes / our lips. Passing the time between the next / befuddlement, the fresh intoxicating despair, / the blindside moment of sublime wonder ...
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For folks who know the upper echelons of songwriting, 'No Depression' magazine once awarded Susan Werner some high praise indeed: “When it comes to crafting a song, Ms. Werner’s only peers are Jimmy Webb and Paul Simon.” Study up on her songcraft in our '5 Questions' with her in advance of an April 6, 2024 show in Charleston. W.Va.
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I think that I shall never see, a tree sermon lovely as this one by some trees. A video-poem in honor of Easter Sunday for those of us without Easter bonnets.
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10 photographs from around the neighborhood, allied with quotations and excerpts that may or may not align, but it's all good.
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From glimpses of cellular life to the Kirkin' o' the Tartans, from rectilinear concrete to the healing vibe of marshlands, plus a diner at the end of the world, here's a multimedia tour of travels around the shire of West Virginia.
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Bill Hart, a dear traveling companion through this vale and holler of light and darkness, passed from this mysterious world on Friday evening, on Feb. 9, 2024. Here are some thoughts and images about a notable human being, artist, and world-class craftsman. And, to be sure, a genuinely offbeat, unconventional, and bohemian soul.
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Four things for your consideration: A rainy photographic street; a 'Gladiator Song'; meme on how grief abates a little; and an epigram of remembrance.
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Five short poems to consume on the run: 'A Poem About All Poems About Trees'; 'Something for Nothing'; 'Platitude-lessness' (brief, but essential writing advice!); 'Mission Statement' and 'Wait a Moment'
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Here are four things I suggest may be worth several minutes of your hard-earned life-force, when the thought arises that you could use a break to think about something other than what you've been thinking about.
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Take a break from worrying about the fate of the Republic, beyond the locked gates of a forested park where the pine trees offer fine company and conversation and the view from on high poses some good questions.
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