Monthly Archives: February 2017

feb 27 Dakota Pipeline “Morally Unacceptable” {Jesuits of the U.S. Feb 22, 2017}

Monday, February 27   “The haunting voices of the starved and mutilated broke fences. . . ” Last week, the national office of Jesuits of the U.S. published a statement calling the recent Dakota Pipeline decision of the Trump Administration … Continue reading

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Feb 24 “start with your own question” — David Whyte

Friday,  February  24 “To hear another’s voice, follow your own voice” For a few weeks David Whyte has been on my mind, wanting my attention.  I am pretty sure I bought one of his books of poems and scrambled around … Continue reading

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Feb 22 — Jan Kenyon, “Happiness” “. . . the way it turns up like a prodigal . . . “

Wednesday, February 22  “There’s just no accounting for happiness”   I’d not met Jane Kenyon until David Grubin caught my attention with her “Happiness” in an email this morning.   Kenyon gets it about understated and playful joy emerging from tough … Continue reading

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Feb 20 – Home from sending a soul friend home for good

Monday, February 20, I was gone most of last week to Long Island where we buried Connie di Biase in the heart of her Congregation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, NY.    This morning as the university celebrates … Continue reading

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each object which your eyes beheld

Today I share love poems written by Broadside Press authors Gwendolyn Brooks and S. Carolyn Reese. Brooks is likely familiar to some list readers but Reese, a Detroit-based poet, may be a new voice. She was to me. I discovered … Continue reading

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after all I am your own

This week, in celebration of Valentine’s Day, I am very pleased to share with A Work Day in Hard Times readers some of the love poems written by Broadside Press authors. Dudley Randall, founder and editor of Broadside Press, wrote often … Continue reading

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Feb 10 – David Whyte and Denise Levertov — for angry times

Friday, February 10  “the well of grief” —  “the mineshaft of passion” Anger does best when I can bring it to stillness, when an anger’s source in grief becomes accessible to me.   There’s lots of anger in the land … Continue reading

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Feb 8 – half-way through February’s 2nd week

Wednesday, February 8  “Now it is time to site quiet, face to face with thee . . .” Lots of noisy news these days, clatter of strategies and counter strategies  —  such times want, I find myself saying  —  breathing … Continue reading

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Feb 6. Three voices: a prophet, a pope, and a poet

Monday, February 6, 2017 “If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech” . . . Isaiah 58 Pre-note: today’s post is longer than ordinary, and quotes 3 authors, the prophet Isaiah, Pope Francis, and the poet … Continue reading

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Feb 3 — no longer a teenager Gerald Locklin

Friday, February 3   “i stay alive for her.” Today begins a weekend and some soft time for home places — Detroit, my university, the neighborhood,  my house, and neighbors.  No packing for a while either. 😊  Looking for a Friday poem, I … Continue reading

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