Mary Oliver & The Witchery of Living
"Will the hungry ox stand in the field and not eat
of the sweet grass?
Will the owl bite off its own wings?
Will the lark forget to lift its body in the air or
forget to sing?
Will the rivers run upstream?

Behold, I say -- behold
the reliability and the finery and the teachings
of this gritty earth gift."

So... posted on Feb 27 2021, 25,839 reads

One Thousand Cranes
Cranes are revered in Japan as mystical creatures and are said to live for a thousand years. A thousand paper cranes are often given to wish for the recovery of a seriously ill person. In this moving video one woman with a traumatic past uses her fingers, eyes and heart to teach young people from difficult backgrounds the skill of origami so that like her they are able to make something beautiful.... posted on Feb 26 2021, 4,326 reads

Be A Blessing
"There is a question rolling around even in the most secular of corners: What do religious people and traditions have to teach as we do the work ahead of repairing, renewing, and remaking our societies, our life together? Krista Tippett's conversation with Rabbi Ariel Burger, a student of the late, extraordinary Elie Wiesel, delves into theological and mystical depths that are so much richer and m... posted on Feb 25 2021, 6,392 reads

Our Memories of Water
"I began asking friends if they had any memorable experiences with water. I was surprised by the blank looks I got. Like almost everyone else, ordinarily my relationship with water was unremarkable--like our relationship with air and sunshine. If instead, I'd started asking people, "Do you have any really memorable experiences of breathing air?" I'd probably have gotten even stranger looks. I have... posted on Feb 24 2021, 2,338 reads

The Gift of Ecological Humility
"In my early 20s, I apprenticed myself to the The Queen Mothers of Kroboland in Ghana with the hope of understanding more about my cultural heritage. Early one morning, I arrived at the compound of Paramount Queen Mother Manye Nartike, who was particularly animated by a rumor she had heard about our diasporic practices in relation to land. In disbelief she admonished me, 'Is it true that in the Un... posted on Feb 23 2021, 5,161 reads

Discovering Poetry En Route to Life
"Poetry, my father quoted it frequently, my grandmother collected it in scrapbooks --cards from friends, I memorized snatches of it in school. Poetry really came to me as a young father when my family and I needed to move across the country away from our best friends. It was an unsettled, lonely. time and I started taking walks in the evening to relax. It was spring. Lemon blossoms. Amazingly, ... posted on Feb 22 2021, 4,995 reads

This Land Was Made
"The soil of this land has been altered--altared--by blood, sweat, and tears falling from black and brown bodies. Even when I am not aware of this, I am aware of this. How many ways can we read the refrain, "This land was made for you and me" ? How was this land made? Who was made to do the making? Who is the you? Who is the me?" Poet Ama Codjoe shares more in this powerful essay.... posted on Feb 21 2021, 3,578 reads

A Meditation on Grief
"Grief is one of the hearts natural responses to loss. When we grieve we allow ourselves to feel the truth of our pain, the measure of betrayal or tragedy in our life. By our willingness to mourn, we slowly acknowledge, integrate, and accept the truth of our losses. Sometimes the best way to let go is to grieve." Jack Kornfield shares more here.... posted on Feb 20 2021, 14,666 reads

The Reverence Movement
Growing up the youngest of 10 siblings in a Watts, Los Angeles housing project, and a member of the famed Crips gang, Aqeela Sherrills witnessed from the inside the pain and devastation of the countrys most violent urban street gang war, which would proceed to claim 30,000 lives between 1983-2003. By 1992, he and his brother and a few other key community players had brokered a historic peace agree... posted on Feb 19 2021, 6,295 reads

Barrio De Paz: Peace Town
"Everything in society tells us to distrust others. I think it's the other way around. We need to profoundly trust in those around us, in their potential and in who they are," the grandmotherly Nelsa Curbelo Cora says. In 1999, she walked into the violence infested city of Guayaquil, Ecuador to BE peace. Through her grassroots work, many of Guayaquil's most dangerous gangs have disarmed, agreed to... posted on Feb 18 2021, 2,158 reads