Beautiful lyric essay. Thank you! Your questions: My good trouble this week was minor, it was attending a "No Kings" organizing training for novices, and I'm joining a witnessing/protest this week at a local ICE detention facility organized by local clergy. Put "Boo that Man" on my Facebook feed after singing along myself. Just finished "Aflame" by Pico Iyer. My body feels tight and panicky, except oddly when I was on Zoom learning how to resist autocracy and one of the speakers said, "You are NOT confused, my friends. It is really, really bad." It was a relief to hear that. We are not confused. Nor are we alone. And we will resist because we love life. (I'm not saying it as powerfully but it was something like that). And finally, my favorite late night treat is when it's finally cool enough to turn of the AC unit and just open the window and hear the crickets. Only happened a couple of times this week, but it was good. Onward!
Hi Kris, so many apologies for my slow response to your well thought out comment. I miss you in BB already. I hope both your actions went well. I appreciate that the local clergy is protesting these facilities. That's important. I have an old classmate from WWC that preaches on your side of the state. She's awesome. Thanks for the Boo That Man support. It's catchy. You are one of my best reader friends, so I'm definitely adding Aflame to the list. I agree that my body also feels the best when I'm doing something active towards resisting. I sometimes don't even feel my body in those moments, until I have come down from the high of community. It's a good reminder. My summer treat of preference this year is ice pops, regardless of brand or flavor or shape. They all slap. Thanks always for your support. It means the world.
A BLESSING
by James Wright
Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota,
Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass.
And the eyes of those two Indian ponies
Darken with kindness.
They have come gladly out of the willows
To welcome my friend and me.
We step over the barbed wire into the pasture
Where they have been grazing all day, alone.
They ripple tensely, they can hardly contain their happiness
That we have come.
They bow shyly as wet swans. They love each other.
There is no loneliness like theirs.
At home once more,
They begin munching the young tufts of spring in the darkness.
I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms,
For she has walked over to me
And nuzzled my left hand.
She is black and white,
Her mane falls wild on her forehead,
And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear
That is delicate as the skin over a girl’s wrist.
Suddenly I realize
That if I stepped out of my body I would break
Into blossom.
I'm catching up on comment replies, but I just love this poem. I think there could be a cool tattoo of the last image...
Beautiful lyric essay. Thank you! Your questions: My good trouble this week was minor, it was attending a "No Kings" organizing training for novices, and I'm joining a witnessing/protest this week at a local ICE detention facility organized by local clergy. Put "Boo that Man" on my Facebook feed after singing along myself. Just finished "Aflame" by Pico Iyer. My body feels tight and panicky, except oddly when I was on Zoom learning how to resist autocracy and one of the speakers said, "You are NOT confused, my friends. It is really, really bad." It was a relief to hear that. We are not confused. Nor are we alone. And we will resist because we love life. (I'm not saying it as powerfully but it was something like that). And finally, my favorite late night treat is when it's finally cool enough to turn of the AC unit and just open the window and hear the crickets. Only happened a couple of times this week, but it was good. Onward!
Hi Kris, so many apologies for my slow response to your well thought out comment. I miss you in BB already. I hope both your actions went well. I appreciate that the local clergy is protesting these facilities. That's important. I have an old classmate from WWC that preaches on your side of the state. She's awesome. Thanks for the Boo That Man support. It's catchy. You are one of my best reader friends, so I'm definitely adding Aflame to the list. I agree that my body also feels the best when I'm doing something active towards resisting. I sometimes don't even feel my body in those moments, until I have come down from the high of community. It's a good reminder. My summer treat of preference this year is ice pops, regardless of brand or flavor or shape. They all slap. Thanks always for your support. It means the world.