Sunday, February 12, 2017

After the Snow

I see baby buds strain
against the tension -
shiny, tight, pink skins pursue
growth. Winter's wood resists,
unsure of being split
open like this -

she can't remember
the joyous juices running
warm last spring.

Monday, February 6, 2017

Trade Ins

I had sent a link of Mike Rowe's Ted Talk to our friend, Kevin. He replied, "Thank you for that. It makes me wish I was 25 again and had a life do over... Not really, but I often wonder what the future holds. Mike says the tools of today are what we carry around with us and I suspect that’s true - but what do I do with them? My iPhone makes a lousy hammer." 

His last juicy steak of a line made me perk up. What a prompt. This poem popped into my head.....






My iPhone Makes a Lousy Hammer





there’s no satisfying thud
as it hits it’s mark

no contact with iron
pounding into wood 

no gratifying muscle-work
balancing a weighted tool

no finished piece to use 
or gift to generously give 

there's nothing to leave 
my maker's mark on 

nowhere to say 
this was made by me.  


Mike recommended Matthew Crawford's Shop Class As Soulcraft, which Craig and I enjoyed so much on Audible that we bought the hard copy also. He has another book out now called The World Beyond Our Head which I'm in the middle of reading. 

Another book I'm simultaneously pairing with it is Wonderland by Steven Johnson....