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…
Category: No Time for Poetry but Exactly What Is
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?…
Gratitude Makes the World Go Around
Dear Brother in the Uprising against Shmegeggedom Thank you for the times in Café Voltaire (I feel privileged to be able to steal a weekly spot in your schedule) Thank you for being a clown sometimes…
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…
I’m Getting Better at This
A beautiful sunny afternoon 70 degrees Dear Bella Levenshtein For months I’ve wanted to visit with you But packed schedules The oddities of time and noncoincidences of space Emails unresponded to It didn’t ever happen…