The Power of a Photograph/The Power of Darshan
In the last couple of years I’ve read whatever books I could get my hands on Whose subject is Sri Anandamayi Ma (Her parents gave her the name Nirmala Sundari Which means “One of Taintless…
Author: Mark J. Chmiel
Ann Manganaro, El Salvador, 1993
Ann said to Mev “In the middle of a war There are many times When you feel God is more absent than present And yet, there are always Moments of grace and revelation When you…
Bhagavad Gita Reading Group/2
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Monday 11 March 2013 6:30 p.m. Meditation 20 m. Recitation Chapter 2, verses 55-71. Paired Discussion 15 m. Consider the following: What is the most relevant part of this chapter to…
Remembering Ann Manganaro
Ann Manganaro was a Sister of Loretto, co-founder of Karen Catholic Worker House, and physician who worked in El Salvador in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She died in June 1993. For our next…
Happy Every Day
I take both grace and insult With cheerful equanimity — Du Fu Dear Wendy, Congrats on your decision to move to China and, as Kerouac advised, be in love with your Shanghai life. I marvel…
Epistolary Ecstasy/2
A dear friend copied and pasted All our Facebook messages to each other Into a Word document Going back to 2008 It comes to 102 pages
Try Giving Yourself Away
Rings and jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. The only gift is a portion of thyself. –Ralph Waldo Emerson In the late 1940s David Dunn wrote an article The reader response was overwhelming…
Institute for the Cultivation of Slowness
You can start right where you are: Your home at 2167 Spring Avenue You can invite people over To an evening’s introduction How speed is ruining us How slowness can save us (heal us) You…
Stand-In
All those evenings I drove down to Brandeis Avenue To see my great-aunt Leah Salzman Miller 1986-1992 I remember Mev joined me once And took photos of Leah and me Leah was fierce A widow…
Upon the Death of Chavez
Upon the death of Hugo Chavez President Obama said: “As Venezuela begins a new chapter in its history, The United States remains committed To policies that promote democratic principles, The rule of law, and respect…