President* for only 73 more days (and counting) Trump, My word of the day today is “bittersweet”, which is defined as either “bitterness and sweetness combined,” which I think is rather too literal and pretty lame, or as “pleasure mixed with overtones of sadness,” which I like quite a bit better (https://www.yourdictionary.com/bittersweet). In this morning’s … Continue reading Bitter and sweet, sweet and bitter
Courage
May the meek get unmeek
President* Trump, The poem-a-day poem in my inbox this morning is by Rena Priest and it’s called The Index and it feels solidly apropos this morning (https://poets.org/poem/index-0?mc_cid=091f8058c4&mc_eid=03fcdf422b). Priest riffs on the idea that “the meek shall inherit the earth” was an agreed upon promise early in our human story. She goes on to see/imagine it … Continue reading May the meek get unmeek
Playlist
President* Trump, I’m not sure if it’s the changing season or if we finally realized we can’t stay in a dour, disconnected place indefinitely, but the last couple of weeks we’ve eased back into an old, very nice, routine where Laura plays me music she thinks I’ll like when I’m cooking dinner. So as I … Continue reading Playlist
Tubman $20’s
President* Trump, Yesterday Laura came back from her walk with the biggest apple I’ve ever seen. It looks like a Honeycrisp on steroids – I think it’s about 50% bigger than a big one of those apples. She found it on the ground and somehow it isn’t bruised and there aren’t any worm holes or … Continue reading Tubman $20’s
A Labor Day reimagining of America
President* Trump, Happy Labor Day, you exploitative oligarch. I read an HP article this morning about your pipe dream of withholding federal funding from school districts that reform their US history offerings to more thoroughly address slavery and introduce systemic racism to students. The article included a Twitter exchange involving you and someone who goes … Continue reading A Labor Day reimagining of America
We have to see each other
President* Trump, I’m at the gallery today and because September is my show month I’m getting to sit here with my work on the walls and it’s pretty cool. Mostly people are walking by outside and not stopping, but my sense is there’s a bit more curiosity than usual and a bit more eye contact … Continue reading We have to see each other
Some of us need to cultivate the strength to yield
President* Trump, This morning we took the dogs to Magnuson Park for the first time in probably five months, basically since COVID-19 really hit and it was clear that navigating the narrow trails with others wasn’t safe. Today we hiked a trail that’s at the far Southwest corner of the park, one that’s far less … Continue reading Some of us need to cultivate the strength to yield
Not pretending things are ok
President* Trump, I’ve noticed it for about the last week, most prominently since the DNC convention ended and the RNC circus started, but it’s likely that the deep malaise that comes over me when I’m not occupied with something has been going on much longer and just wasn’t as noticeable. Just to be sure, I … Continue reading Not pretending things are ok
Way off the beaten path and into the wilds (vicariously)
President* Trump, I’m sure this isn’t going to surprise you at all, but I won’t be tuning into your nihilistic hate-fest this week. There will be plenty of updates about it and at times it’ll feel as though I went ahead and subjected myself to the negative frenzy, but even in the name of research … Continue reading Way off the beaten path and into the wilds (vicariously)
A big tent made of an awesome patchwork quilt
President* Trump, It wasn’t just the direct references and the montage of images honoring those who were among us who are no longer among us because of your nihilistic responses to COVID-19 and systemic racism that tethered last night’s Democratic convention content to sober, painful here and now realities. It was the whole, whole thing, … Continue reading A big tent made of an awesome patchwork quilt