First, words of hope:
"We live under capitalism. It's power seems inescapable; so did the divine right of kings… Power can be resisted and changed by human beings; resistance and change often begin in art, and very often in our art — the art of words."
Ursula K. Le Guin
And here is how it is done:
"When we fell we were not aware of falling. We were driving
to work, or to the mall. The children were in school learning
subtraction with guns."
Joy Harjo, A Postcolonial Tale from the collection Weaving Sundown In A Scarlet Light
Hawaii, where talking story is a way of life, has been my home for a little over ten years, my seventh anniversary in Kaunakakai, Molokai will be this fall.
Paying Attention
It seems like no time at all,
and too, that it has always been my home.
Nowhere everywhere — now here
Choreography of my days: walk write swim paint read weed
Today's challenge: spot the chameleon in this blog post. Hint: my little neighbor loves to converse with flowers.
(My new painting revels in the unsteady hand that painted it —and for sure it is the work of a human hand. Not A.I. generated. Never could A.I. experience the enjoyment I had painting it.)
Untitled (between a rock and a hard place)
mixed media painting on paper 12" x 16"
Ruth Ann Howden
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my brother was born between a rock and a hard place.
Mid-20th-century's conflicted expectations and rebellions.
The only time I saw him wear a tie,
it was a bowtie, worn in jest,
in solidarity with the other men
at a wedding.
Spider Woman
I am a web of tying
tying feelings with images, colors, textures
tying statement to shape
Trying to extend wonder, provoke questions
as a child I was warned
not to let my imagination
run away with me,
I've found it's great fun
to run away with my imagination.
Transgendered
*SCOTUS rules: no robes
forbids cross dressing, exception
Arab donors
*Supreme Court of the United States
For Library Month our Branch Manager asked:
What My Library Means to Me
from Latin, liber ~ inner bark, rind, book
Miriam Webster definition:
A place in which literary, musical,
artistic, or reference materials
(such as books, manuscripts,
recordings, or films)
are kept for use but not for sale.
A library is a beautiful glowing seed pod
holding the past and the future.
A maze where I lose myself
in the surprise of self discovery.
A space to establish roots, extend wings,
and embrace questions.
A library is trust in the future of open sharing,
trust that eight billion brains can solve problems
as sure as limitations spark creativity,
a generous expression of equality.
And I can borrow a book
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Allowing Another Overtime
once more overtime:
connections and more questions
more reason to keep on.
allowing in this overtime
a library and a garden
family and friends . . .
where is the cheering,
the booing?
is someone keeping score?
sorting my odd poems
pried out of restlessness, reaction, and
with some reflection
can I, might I contribute —
leave the world
a better place than I found it,
knowing that I too
added to the destruction of the planet.
over time,
that score, all that star dust,
can never be tallied
