Monthly Archives: November 2016

Wednesday, 4th day of Advent, last day of November This delicate and demanding Hopkins poem is beautiful.   I’m crazy busy today but a GMH can stand by itself and bless anybody. Welcome to December,   john st sj   … Continue reading →

Monday,  November 28  “the vision has its own time”  Habakkuk 2:2 In the Christian tradition, Advent opens a season for remembering the year just ended (in the liturgical calendar, the 1st Sunday of Advent begins the new year).   It … Continue reading →

Wednesday, November 23 Most years, I welcome the Wednesday before Thanksgiving by fasting from the alarm clock.  Instead of 5:40 am, I eased out of sleep at 9:20 or so.  Now it’s 10:37, Detroit Bold Colombian  Espresso coffee brewed.  If … Continue reading →

Monday November 21 Shortest work week of the year.  Clean, crisp, autumn air all over campus.   I found a new poet for the occasion.  Ray Carver, never met him before.  Reading “Happiness”  on a morning like this helps me … Continue reading →

Monday afternoon Nov 21 English Faculty member, Mary-Catherine Harrison, has guest edits poems for the list.   Her children’s-book “Rx for Reading” continue’s to grow (as of last count 55,000 books have come onto campus and gone out to low-income children and … Continue reading →

Thursday November 17 Today’s post takes the place of Wednesday & Friday because I’m on the road in California.  Back next Monday. .   .   .     “out loud with pauses” Have a blest weekend, john sj A … Continue reading →

Monday, November 14   Shiraz, “the oldest sample of wine in the world” Poet Fatema Keshavarz reaches deep in time to she lift up the beauty Shiraz, her home city in Iran.   Shiraz has lived as a center for art and … Continue reading →

Friday,  November 11, 2016  “There is a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in.” Last Monday, the day before the election of Donald Trump, Leonard Cohen died.  I am not alone getting the news later (i.e., this morning … Continue reading →

Wednesday, November 9 “That our loyalty to one another and our loyalty to our work not be set in false conflict.” Just now I read a grieving email from a former student who has become a peer, soul friend.  Here’s … Continue reading →

November 8, 2016 Most of you have read this crisp, wise, brief poem from William Carlos Williams.  It came to mind this morning when many citizens in the US face into the wind’s teeth, one reality  that women and men … Continue reading →