Slouching Toward Bethlehem

I didn’t read The Second Coming until I was about 27. It remains the most powerful poem I’ve ever read. It’s been more and more on my mind lately.        The center has not held. We are spinning wildly toward a society that is polarized beyond correction or redemption. About 20 years ago there was

You Can’t Fix Stupid

The coronavirus pandemic prompted numerous state and local governments to issue stay-at-home orders at various times in March. At first, because people were very much afraid of the virus, these orders were largely heeded. But now, since the “curve is flattening” and many locations have not yet been hit by the virus (anyone see the

Zombie Apocalypse Disorder

Paraskevidekatriaphobia. Thanks to Wikipedia, I just learned that word this morning, Friday the 13th. It means fear of Friday the 13th. Given the craziness of the past few days, it’s reasonable to assume that more people than usual will suffer from some high anxiety today. We are certainly in a bizarre situation, which the age

Whispers in the hush of Winter nights

There are a few, and only a few sights and experiences in my life which have made me aware of the Presence of the Divine. I long ago eschewed religion. Men (usually) take a perfectly good set of spiritual beliefs and begin mucking about with it. The result is religion. I consider myself to be

2020: WTF?

When I was younger, predictions about the future often began with, “In the year 2020…” I cannot adequately express how old that makes me feel. Twenty-twenty also means 1970, the year I turned 14 and the year I lost my political virginity, was 50 years ago. Who remembers Kent State now? As with past infatuations,

Late November Sunshine

The image out our living room window, three stories up. My PC is just to the right, and I love looking out this window. For so many months that was all I could do. I don’t recommend getting housebound to anybody. Of course none of sets out to become housebound, but it happens.

Thanksgiving

The imminent arrival of another Thanksgiving means the holiday season is upon us, and when we are through the holiday season, 2020 will be upon us. I’m not sure I’ve ever been less happy about an impending new year. Thanksgiving has been a problematic holiday for me ever since 1973. It was the day before

Samhain

When I was a kid, Halloween was always my favorite holiday. No doubt that was because you got to go around to people’s houses and get candy, not to mention you got to wear a costume while doing it. In the half-century since, Halloween has remained a favorite. Some fifteen years ago or so I

Palouse Autumn

The Palouse is beautiful in the autumn. We’re well into October now, so the harvest has finished, but the harvested fields are beautiful, all gold and yellow and brown. Here in town the leaves are busily making themselves yellow, orange and red. The colors of autumn are one of my favorite aspects of the season.

Keats Everywhere

And don’t the days slip by. Autumn arrived—actual “this is autumn weather” autumn. Five days ahead of the calendar, thus. I have put a lot of time into the show the past two months; hence the lacuna. At one point during that time I was thinking of pulling all my blog posts down and starting