A gypsy scribbler's musings & ruminations
If "Hope's the thing with feathers," Then surely it's a mocker -That cocks its impish head and tauntsEach dark, despairing hour - Sore tossed upon the waves, I've cried, "All's lost! Life comes undone - "When "Lost - life comes!" - I hear it chirp -My voice - transformed by one - Who jibes the... Continue Reading →
They had known each other for years. They had walked and talked, sweated and laughed, fished and faced mobs together - angry mobs ready to throw one or all of them off high places, desperate mobs clambering for miracles, hungry mobs that walked miles into desolate places to have their hearts and bellies filled. They... Continue Reading →
"I'm dying," said I. "I know. How far would you go?" said she. "How far would you go to be free?" "Free of the thing that is killing me? Cut it out! Carve and slice, burn and dice, poison it until it disappears. I surrender to the physician's knife and knowledge. In short: do whatever... Continue Reading →
As far as I can tell, there are three kinds of endings that mark the points along this curvy road of life. First there is the quietly-disappear-don't-realize-it's-never-coming-back kind of ending where life goes on as normal and the possibility of the thing that just ended still exists in your mind. You don't think to say... Continue Reading →
We met them at the airport. It was two o'clock in the afternoon and they had been traveling for twenty-six hours. "You made it! Karibuni! Karibu New York! Sasa? Umeamka? Poa! I'm so glad you all are here!" We gathered the group of twenty-eight travel-weary singers towards one side of the arrivals hall and waited... Continue Reading →
In our highly structured and relatively dangerous world, spontaneous adventures for solitary travelers are generally regarded with fear, confusion, or disbelief. Fear: "Why would you DO that?!" Confusion: "WHY would you do that?!" Disbelief: "Why would YOU do THAT?!" Naysayers may sometimes be wise people, so don't throw them off entirely. Still, don't let them... Continue Reading →
... is in knowing that, even when she is not actually in distress, she will always be helped. Car trouble? Pop the hood and fiddle with the fluid gauges, pull out the jack and start setting it up, put up those hazard triangles and see just how quickly the mechanical muscles show up. House flooded? Appliances... Continue Reading →
Ode to Plastic Bending and unyielding; Soft as flesh or hard as bone. Inanimate. And yet there is No form you cannot assume, No task to which you are not applied. Shaper, connector, keeper; All the tools of this great race are Fashioned from you and by you. No child of these generations will know... Continue Reading →
"Rachel! I'm inviting myself over. Is that okay? Are you and the kids home this afternoon? I haven't seen you in ages and I finally have a free afternoon." "Come on over! We're here." "Cool - I'm leaving school in about thirty minutes." "Great! See you soon." So began my Tuesday afternoon. I sat a... Continue Reading →
So, a week ago Friday I performed for an assembly at school. The kids were doing a talent show and I was the teacher "filler" act while the judges deliberated on a winner from the student participants. I decided to do a song by Ingrid Michaelson called "The Chain." Lauren introduced me to it a couple... Continue Reading →
Of Wonders & Wanders 
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