Communication
I know I arouse your disbelief Because I do not text But there’s a simple reason That I still use a cell phone to call you The most important thing I have to share I…
Author: Mark J. Chmiel
Prudence & Parrhesia
A library I once spent time in Is named in honor of Pope Pius XII He was nothing if not prudent And prudence is a virtue much of the time In 1948 When talking with…
Mechaiehs
Mechaiaeh… Pronounced m’KHY-eh, to rhyme with “messiah.” The kh sound is, of course, the way a MacTavish would roll it out. From Hebrew. Pleasure, great enjoyment, a real joy. … Mechaieh comes from the Hebrew…
Being Real
No one would really confuse a Catholic Worker type with a real ghetto person, and no one would really confuse you with a real impoverished hillbilly. You may identify with them, but they do not…
Inspired at the London Tea Room on a Friday Afternoon
The joy in hearing your stories O Cynical Optimist (Your serene green eyes Your face radiating confidence) Like that woman who looked Ten years into the future And knew with whom She needed to be…
A Mentsh
For years I read him to get a bearing On the atrocities the U.S. enabled in Central America I wrote my Master’s thesis on him On Israel/Palestine and liberation theology When I met him at…
So Be It
Bella Levenshteyn After I sent you the Cardenal poem About bloody coltan cell phones You asked me what I think you should do Now that’s easy: Share your light
Letter of Recommendation
Her I call a healer who recognizes toxicity in her environment And resolves to protect herself and others accordingly Her I call a healer who swims against the fierce current Of conditioning of GPAs and…
Out of the Blue
But I don’t do that with anyone in the world “But I want you to, with me”
Mantra Walk, Michigan and Wabash Avenues, Easter Weekend, Chicago
Holy Saturday Sun shining on all Haré Rama Haré Rama Tourists juggling cameras and kids Capture this moment for later Rama Rama Haré Haré Columbia College East-West University bookstores Haré Krishna Haré Krishna