The Simple Things
Walking in Forest Park Watching the baby ducks Receiving each others’ stories Seeing the blue sky Smiling in the present moment There we were: Paradise –from novel-in-progress, Our Heroic and Ceaseless 24/7 Struggle against Tsuris
Author: Mark J. Chmiel
Would Someone Please Start an Institute for the Cultivation of Slowness?
Rushing is a way of life We’re speed freaks Yeah it’s a drug Move the mind Faster and faster Get more done Faster and faster Our lives are one long Stair Master’s routine The pace…
The Daily Mail by Hedy Epstein
In those first years of the Nazi regime, it was hard for me to grasp the import of politics writ large. However, I would soon come face to face with discrimination on a regular basis. …
Cece’s Smile
For Mary and Matt A while after Mev died I went to a gathering at Jesuit Hall In honor of Guadalupe Carney Who had lived in Honduras with the poor Scores of people were there…
The Miracle of Being Cheerful
Years of nausea Anxiety Affliction Heart being battered Hourly taking up your cross And carrying it Night after day Day after night And when I’ve seen you Always that smile Always that glow Always that…
Elvia Alvarado
Our Latin America Reading Group will discuss Elvia Alvarado’s testimony, Don’t Be Afraid, Gringo on Thursday 30 May at 7 p.m. at Café Ventana. I imagine Elvia meeting up with Che And the revolutionary…
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for the Boeing Company
O Lord God We joyously thank you For the many gifts You have provided us in Saint Louis With the Boeing Company Who sees to it That we are gainfully employed and That our community…
Leaving the Comfort Zone
When we get bored and complacent Playing it safe Staying stuck in our routines of “I, me, mine” May we remember and act on that phrase Which can immediately enliven us Bring out our daring…
News from Bella in New York
Dear Poet Who Summons Other Poets, I wrote this on July 4th at 12:50 am and I think it relates to some of the questions you asked me in a recent voicemail. Come see me,…
Grow Saint Louis Vietnam
Grow Saint Louis! Monsanto gives charity 20,000 dollar grants To those local organizations who compete against each other To get the most votes Charity (and competition) has its place People will tell me Grow Vietnam?…