To: The Wrecking Ball This morning our good friend sent me of Maggie Smith’s wonderful, hard, sobering poem “Good Bones” in response to yesterday’s letter. Here’s a link to the poem on her blog: http://waxwingmag.org/items/Issue9/28_Smith-Good-Bones.php. I’m 99% sure I’ve told you about this poem before, but it was a long time ago so I’ll remind … Continue reading Maybe the bones aren’t so good after all
Privilege
No free passes for past bad actors
To: The Whiny Loser I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before my shoulders are up around my ears again, but so far this morning they and I have been pretty chill, there’s even been some happy tears. Why, you don’t ask? Well, seeing the upper “front” page of the WP announcing all the … Continue reading No free passes for past bad actors
The Double V Campaign and déjà vu all over again
President* Trump, I’m reading Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi’s book Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning. I got through about 45% of Kendi’s How to Be An Antiracist before the library loan expired so I thought it would be a good idea to go … Continue reading The Double V Campaign and déjà vu all over again
Diabolical chick-shits need to be locked in their coops until they are ready to cooperate
President* Trump, In the opening line of the loving-kindness blessing two days ago I referred to you, your GOP props, and the GOP scarcity mongers as diabolical chicken-shits: May we all be safe from diabolical chicken-shits. It’s true that I didn’t think long or hard about it or have to dig deep (obviously) to come … Continue reading Diabolical chick-shits need to be locked in their coops until they are ready to cooperate
Scarcity thinking: the poison pearl of privilege
President* Trump, I know this isn’t a new insight or take on things, but lately I find myself wondering whether mean spiritedness of the scarcity sort isn’t really, truly the poison pearl of privilege at the heart of most all of our collective and individual problems. Maybe as I write I’ll come up with a … Continue reading Scarcity thinking: the poison pearl of privilege
It’s a new day in the People’s House
President* Trump, I’m so grateful the event that occasioned the unprecedented hour in the House of Representatives this morning calling out misogyny was not AOC’s murder by a crazed, bigoted misogynist (or Ayanna Pressley’s or Ilhan Omar’s or Pramila Jayapal’s or Rashida Tlaib’s or Debbie Wasserman Schulz’s or Barbara Lee’s or Nancy Pelosi’s) – so, … Continue reading It’s a new day in the People’s House
Idolizing rights and ignoring responsibilities
President* Trump, This is going to be short because the day got away from me and I’m toast. I read an article in the WP (Meagan Flynn & Marisa Iati) this morning about Georgia Governor, Brian Kemp, and his executive order voiding all mask mandates in the state and the lawsuit he’s bringing against Atlanta … Continue reading Idolizing rights and ignoring responsibilities
Why now?
President* Trump, I’m 95% certain I’ve told you about this tree before – it’s the ancient chestnut tree a few houses North of the original 21st Buddha and I’ve walked past it at least once a week for about 10-ish years now. Because it’s sited at the end of the block its massive canopy shades … Continue reading Why now?
Segregation and bootstraps
President* Trump, This afternoon Laura and I watched Sarah Cooper’s latest Trumpian lip-sync on YouTube – “How to Lincoln.” Although Cooper portrayed you brilliantly, it was an especially vile 24 seconds of Trump-speech and when it was over, all I could think to say was that you are loathsome. You truly are. Fortunately, though, this … Continue reading Segregation and bootstraps
Serial displacements
President* Trump, So Old Lizzie seems to be feeling some better. She was able to come upstairs to go to bed last night under her own steam and in between crashed out naps, she’s been super hungry today, which we are taking to be a good sign. It’s hard, though, seeing her so creaky and … Continue reading Serial displacements