May 22, 2022 Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings… Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark nor ever eagle flew— And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, […]

May 16, 2022 …he says let’s walk up to the field and catch the sunset, and off we go, a couple of aging fools. I hope, he says, on the other side there’s a lot less work, but just in case I’m bringing tools. ~Maxine Kumin, Chores   It’s the morning after the full moon […]

May 13, 2022 Patience must be the charm To heal me of my woe: …a painful patience. ~Sir Thomas Wyatt, Patience, Though I Have Not   Another longtime local retailer, Beads and Blue Lotus, has closed its doors in Santa Barbara. It almost made it to 40 years, which is a stellar accomplishment in the […]

May 11, 2022 …There are worse things than running to catch the train, twisting your ankle… Running to get to or away from? the stranger who helps you up wants to know… Just want the pain to go away, you say, surprised to find yourself reaching for someone else’s hand. ~Timothy Liu, All Trains Are […]

May 5, 2022 And when my ill-school’d spirit is aflame Some nobler, ampler stage of life to win, I’ll stop, and say: “There were no succour here! The aids to noble life are all within.” ~Mathew Arnold, Worldly Place   Once upon a time, we hired a wise and talented gardener to work in our […]

April 29, 2022 Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace And rest can never dwell, hope never comes… ~John Milton, Paradise Lost   Every time I travel Goleta’s main drag, Hollister Avenue, through the far western end of town, it depresses me. Strip malls and big box centers, multistory apartments and condominiums are jammed cheek […]

April 22, 2022 In the never-ending battle between order and chaos, clutter sides with chaos every time. Anything that you possess that does not add to your life or your happiness eventually becomes a burden. ~ John Robbins I sometimes wonder if the elites realize they just have too much stuff. Perhaps they are no […]

April 21, 2022 We must go on, because we can’t turn back. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island As the days roll by in their seeming sameness, I have less inclination to talk. I’m not antisocial but I’m not seeking out interactions, either. I deeply appreciate the people I keep in contact with via text […]

April 13, 2022 Up to its native stars My soul ascended! There from the flowing bowl Deep drinks the warrior’s soul… ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Skeleton in Armor   Getting ready to take a family member to a routine appointment, my attention is drawn to glittering rings and jangly bracelets in my dusty jewelry box, […]

April 10, 2022 Everyone has agony, the difference is I try to take my agony home with me now and then and teach it to sing. ~ Arthur Miller It’s so tranquil this morning, I almost don’t want to spoil it with words. There’s a lovely sense of drifting on a tide of bird song […]

April 6, 2022 the empty void is a speck of the heart that cherishes deeply. the universe is a particle of unbroken dust soaring in the air. ~Fei Ming 废名 (translated from the Chinese by Yilin Wang), the soaring dust of the mortal realm   All I’m ever looking for is peace. On a good […]

March 31, 2022 It was written I should be loyal to the nightmare of my choice. ~ Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness It’s one of those jumpy mornings when I don’t want to settle to any one thing. I’m happy to lay the blame on something other than myself, like solar flares and CME. Or […]