I remember where I was when I heard, of course. I was sweeping the mess deck on the USCGC Rush. I was only a few short weeks out of Boot Camp at that point.

Several people have quoted President Reagan's speech of that tragic day, when he spoke of how Challenger's crew had ... slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God.. Reagan, in ( Read more... )

As I was folding laundry just now, my brain, of its own accord, started composing a poem.

I thought it was going to be a thoughtful political piece, like Ginsberg, like Kerouac, starting with the lines "the terrorists have already won/We elected them in 2001."

But, no. It turned into a LIMERICK.

The terrorists have already won ( Read more... )

I was reminded today of the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in transience and impermanence.

Some things are more precious for their impermanence; some things are more perfect for their imperfections.

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( There is a crack in everything; that's how the light gets in ... )

In the late '80s, one of the numerous transit systems in the Bay Area had a cultural enrichment program, putting art and poetry in those overhead add slots on the bus. I believe some of the brief poems were actually commissioned for the program ( Read more... )