Peonies: A Bit Of Softness And Light In An Otherwise Dark And Rough Time

In Memory of Gabe, my 13 yr old nephew

Gabe died at 3:18 PM on 5/03/13 from bacterial spinal meningitis. He was truly a charitable child who gave his birthday money, Yule money, and any other savings to charities. He is lying in a funeral home right now in the shirt you see him wearing in this picture. He had donated money to Relay for Life. He has this whimsy about him, and this strong love of family. I am so utterly heartbroken and so worried about his mom.

Cruising In The Country On A Saturday Afternoon: Art Festival, Cemetery, Beachaven Winery, & Jefferson Davis Monument

Moon and Monument

A Blessing: James Wright

I saw these two ponies when I was at an art festival last weekend and immediately thought of James Wright's powerful poem. Here it is:

A Blessing


James Wright 1927–1980


Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota,
Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass.
And the eyes of those two Indian ponies
Darken with kindness.
They have come gladly out of the willows
To welcome my friend and me.
We step over the barbed wire into the pasture
Where they have been grazing all day, alone.
They ripple tensely, they can hardly contain their happiness
That we have come.
They bow shyly as wet swans. They love each other.
There is no loneliness like theirs.
At home once more,
They begin munching the young tufts of spring in the darkness.
I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms,
For she has walked over to me
And nuzzled my left hand.
She is black and white,
Her mane falls wild on her forehead,
And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear
That is delicate as the skin over a girl’s wrist.
Suddenly I realize
That if I stepped out of my body I would break
Into blossom.

An Evening With Leonard Cohen: Louisville Palace Theatre 3/30/13

Birds On A Wire