Off You Go
You’re about to begin another adventure And will likely discover How rich you are And how poor you are How much you want to share And how much you need to lose You’ll realize all…
Author: Mark J. Chmiel
Jesus Wept
While on his travels Jesus passed by a rotting skull He commanded it to speak The skull said “Spirit of God My name is Balwan ibn Hafs King of Yemen I lived a thousand years…
A Day’s Work (Checkpoint [Life under Occupation])
I ran toward them and punched an Arab right in the face I’d never punched anyone that way He collapsed on the road The officers said that we had to search him for his papers…
Words Matter
Dear Bella Some liberal Zionists in the US Are willing to concede (Generously, they believe) That the settlements ae a “problem” But according to international law The settlements aren’t a problem They’re a crime Perry
Who Deserves An Education? A Discussion of Higher Education in a Maximum Security Prison: Share the Wealth with Julie O’Heir Sunday 7 June
Since 2011, Julie O’Heir has worked for the SLU Prison Program, which offers educational opportunities to incarcerated men and prison staff at the ERDCC* community in Bonne Terre, MO. Her role has led her to…
Fullness and Emptiness/2
Before Carla’s presentation at the Peace Center Henry reminisced with me as we both ate tabouli and fries pitas “The first time I went to Guatemala I was there for a couple of weeks When…
A Cup of Tea (Fullness and Emptiness/1)
Nan-in was a Japanese master during the Meiji era One day he received a university professor Who came to inquire about Zen Nan-in served tea He poured his visitor’s cup full And then kept on…
Tales of Munindra: “Be Happy, Be Peaceful, Be Liberated”
for Chris Wallach Sometimes the loving-kindness he intoned emanated in such a compelling way that, as Lynne Bousfield says, “you just got hit by the metta.” David Hopkins recalls such an experience at Dhamma Giri when…
Anne Waldman on Allen Ginsberg’s Howl
It was a cri de coeur, an alarm, a vision. Its structure matched its energy, which seemed the voices of many, not one. It was a rhizomic collage, just like life, a pastiche of the…