A Response to Dear Layla Welcome to Palestine
I received this generous message recently from Sarah Nash, who is a sophomore at SLU. Mark, I’m not even sure where to begin this email! I guess I could start with a huge THANK YOU….
Category: Correspondence
Tasha and The Book of Mev
I count it as a blessing to have reconnected with Tasha Morris, who took a Social Justice class with me in spring 2007. Now finishing her Master’s in Nursing, Tasha sent me the following reflection…
Good To Be with You, Too
Marky-Mark–you are such a spark! in those terra cotta colored cords, and your tie-dyed T, driving your fancy mini cooper, shuffling through the SLAM, counting the number of paintings that contained the color, periwinkle. Was…
You’re the Beautiful Resistance
There’s something about your sharing with me Tears usually are the result Not sadness as in Ach But gratitude as in Ah I’ve known you nine years plus So, of course, we inter-are Muriel Ruykeyser:…
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
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…
What You Understand Depends on Where You Stand & Where You Stand Depends on What You Understand
for Ellen Mev looked up to Ann Manganaro Co-founder of Karen Catholic Worker House Sister of Loretto medical doctor Compañera to Father John Kavanaugh When Mev went to El Salvador in 1993 For the annual…
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…
For Lindsay
After the evening sharing on “coming alive” You told me with a tear You want to be at a monastery You want to be silent for days The Sufis say don’t speak unless you can…