Cut the Power

They cut the power today to work on the lines. The computer went off. The lights went off. The refrigerator went off. The garage door wouldn’t open. I wanted to mow the yard. The door has a release. I opened it by hand. When it happens you learn a few things. You learn how important it is to think, to improvise, to work without buttons or switches or instant anything. You learn something else in the quiet of birds and wind and branches cutting their way up into the air. You learn if the boys and girls are right about the way the world works and survival of the fittest, origin of the species and how many eons it takes to get anything done, you better pray not for salvation, but eternal electricity. ♦

Read more »

Learn To Row

I learned to row a long time ago, in a boat with my name on the bow, given to me by my grandfather who built it with his hands, the hands I inherited. The boat is gone, but I learned to row a long time ago.   Slow and steady, all day long,  all night if you dare, if you see the lights and steer by grace freely given, the long reach, the deep bite, the pull back toward forgiveness and you reach out as far as you can and pull again.   Over and over it goes. You face away from where you’re headed, but you get there all the same.   I learned to row a long time ago. My grandfather long gone with all the guts he gave me through my Dad said it best,  “Row for your life.”   Row to heaven or go to hell, […]

Read more »

Stetson

He’s gone now, my stupid dog with his stupid grin and the floppy ears tattooed for racing.   He’s gone now with his elegant stance and his beautiful eyes and his fast, keen wisdom.   He’s gone now and all the thousands of times I let him out in the middle of the night are gone with him.   He’s gone now and I will never fail again to console him during thunderstorms or pick up his mess or ask myself how any dog could be so dignified and funny.   He’s gone now and I wish I could go with him or he return to me and just walk with this stupid, empty leash.   He’s gone now, but we will meet again and again and again, every time I think of him and know he thinks of me, winning every race amidst the clouds. ♥

Read more »

Prayer For A Poisoner

May the dogs you have killed haunt you. May the coyotes and foxes and raccoons you have slain awaken and come together and speak the same language and find you. May they squeeze from their loins and guts the essence of what you left for them to find and may they feed it to you. May you realize too late what you ate is not intended to satisfy your hunger, but the hunger of their lives for justice and if not justice, vengeance will do. May you die slowly, fully aware you will not survive in this world or the next, because you served death to life and death is a loser. You are a loser. Take a big bite. Chew it up real good. Now swallow. ♠

Read more »

Everything Is More Important Than Love

The floor needs sweeping. The dog needs food. Odds and ends need keeping. The garbage must go out. The job is only money. Money goes away. The world turns automatically and misery stays. The railroads would be dandy, but railroads don’t run. People do what they do of necessity or fun. Love is such a bother and righteousness so cool. Everyone is digital. No one wants to be a fool. ♥

Read more »