The Story of Grace
In the United States, much less the world, there are hundreds, if not thousands of emergency rooms. We, the staff of those emergency rooms, number in the tens of thousands—hundreds of thousands, perhaps. We bear witness to millions of patients, all with individual...
The Importance of Stories
Imagine, if you would the following story: You are on a subway. Perhaps you’re rereading your favorite book, doing homework, or reading an important report for work—any of which requires concentration. Above the normal background noise, you hear young children...
Elementary Music
Best intentions taught me thatWithin higher symphonic realmsSpaces are for FACE,and lines--Lines define worth:Every Good Boy Deserves FudgeIn lower staves,All Cows Eat Grass, and boys--Good Boys Do Fine AlwaysBut girls?SilenceFor them, only blank lines and...
Gratitude in Flannel
Today, I am especially grateful for old friends, even more specifically, one I’ll call Dean. His real name isn’t Dean, but, as unnamed characters go, never since Eddie Vedder in Singles have I loved anyone who wore flannel until Dean Winchester from Supernatural. My...
Plant the Seeds
It is easy to fall into despair when looking at all the terrible things occurring around us. Whether it's an uncontrolled lust for power in all its forms, a desire to win no matter what it costs all of us, or a fear of the unfamiliar that translates into either, it...
Dear McMinn County School Board
McMinn County School Board c/oMcMinn County School District3 South Hill StreetAthens, TN 37303 Dear Members of the McMinn County Board of Education Rob Shamblin, Tony Allman, Jonathan Pierce, Donna Casteel, Mike Lowry, Mike Cochran, Sharon Brown, Quinten Howard, Bill...
Behold the Pitcher and its Cup
Behold the pitcher and its cupEach made for receiving and forgivingIn that orderEach could receive anywhereBoth can give everywhereYet here they areAs stars mandatedSymmetry in tandemNot separate but equalBut equal and separateAwaiting their purposeSharedBreathless...
Shane Koyczan
I first heard of Shane Koyzcan through his To This Day Project which addressed bullying and the effects of bullying. He is the shy Canadian voice I wrote about in my first post (link), a spoken word artist whose mastery of language and connection, of description and...
Voices
there are voicessome shyly dreaming Canadian voicessoothing in their sorry andlonging in their been there are voiceswho speak of past nightmarepresent daze andfuture dawn there are voicesevading of pork chops andadmiring of send flowers listswho describe the...