A Poem

Sometimes I'll hear a reading of a poem that touches me with it's description of a moment. A moment that many can relate to.  The following is one I heard this morning on NPR:

"Written on the Due Date of a Son Never Born."
by David Wojahn

Echinacea, Bee Balm, Aster, Trumpet Vine, 

I watch your mother bend to prune, 

water sluicing silver from the hose. 

Another morning you will never see. 

Summer solstice, 

dragonflies flare, the un-petaled rose.

Six A.M. and already she's breaking down,

hose flung to the sidewalk where it snakes and pulses in a steady keening glitter,


 both hands to her face. 

That much I can give you of these hours. 

That much only, 

fists and blossom forged by salt,

trellising your wounded helixes against our days. 

Tell us how to live for we are shades,

facing, caged, the chastening sun. 

Our eyes are scorched and lidless.

 We cannot bear your light.

Just Be Kind . . .

 

Summer Streaming ...

The Mother (Lopez movie)

Wellmania (series)

tried Jury Duty, may return

Living (Nighy)

The Pale Blue Eye

The Rig (series)

Where the Crawdads Sing (movie)

One More Time

Tourist's Guide to Love (meh)

We Have a Ghost

3000 Years of Longing

The Outlaws (comedy series)

Top Gun

Night Sky (series)

Whiplash (movie)

Platonic (series)

Armageddon Time (movie)

We're the Millers (movie)

Sully (movie)

Chupa (movie)

3:10 to Yuma (movie)

80 for Brady (movie)

Deadloch (series)

New Amsterdam (series)

Carol (movie)

 

"Dear ... Somebody"

 After decades of reading advice columns, starting with Landers, van Buren and currently Hax, I've learned some things. Whether they're useful or not depends on whether you're ready for a little self inspection. Some days I'm ready and on others I can be a bit clueless. Okay okay okay, many days I find myself clueless. Sheesh!

The issue I see most often is that basically, we ALL stink at communication. Perhaps due to our choices, we don't want anyone else in our business -- and seldom for the best of reasons. Also, it's a rare person who can offer a non-biased account of a relationship issue or courteously speak up for themselves in the moment, but (as I've discovered reading Carolyn Hax's chats) they do exist. 

I put how we stink at communication first, because ... well, because we DO. We have issues with friends or family and immediately try to see how we can either get others on our side or skew the story or ... create their own story about the situation. Stop that. You know exactly what I mean-- we want allies and we'll do what we can to get them. Whatever type of stroking or bribing it might take. Instead of the all so simple solution: sitting down face to face to talk it out, sometimes it can happen in one sit down and sometimes it can take more. The circumstances depend on how firmly and how long people have been grasping to their "truth". 

Why is talking to each other so difficult? Fear of opening up? Too many times of having someone shut you down, not listening or telling you you're wrong? Yes ... I might be talking to myself and hoping I listen this time. 

Love, K

This Land ...