The face of this sleeping earth.

Kwase Hasui  'Rain at Nissaka'  1942

"There is nothing more difficult then being a stepson of the time"

Vassily Grossman

if I could start over 

before I brought a child 

into this failing world 

I would first dig my own grave

________

we are ordinary until we are not 

a hawk gliding above this valley 

            is grocery shopping 

            just like you in safeway 

            clean up in aisle 7 

dogs randomly do their business 

            out in the world 

            there's no other choice 

remember driving the backroads

            of calaveras county

            and there was no gas station

            but there were lots of pine trees

we all deal with the options we have 

            choose as wisely as possible 

we are ordinary until we are not

________

Is democracy still alive? Certainly the conservative fascists are holding at gunpoint. Perhaps they already pulled the trigger when I wasn't looking. Perhaps none of us have been watching, at least not very closely. It could be that democracy is the child that did not survive. 

________

oh the million lanterns of the night

        oh the soft cornflowers of the night
                                    georg trakl

yes
the smiles of the stars
across the face of this sleeping earth
the clean fresh breeze from the wings of angels
to cool the brows of the children at rest
and of the lovers at their best
yes
how sweet and pure
this darkness of time and ease
this darkness of hope and renewal
this darkness
complete and untroubled
yes
now the people raise their most innocent dreams
up to heaven to taste the thanks
and the holy blessings of the universe
those gifts that the universe might offer so freely
yes
oh the calm sea of the night
oh the million lanterns of the night
those soft cornflowers
those angel wings
yes

by james lee jobe 

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James