The heartland

Denial comes in many forms. We’re back in the Pacific Northwest, and thrown back into the clutches of a small, “chicken ranch” farm community town stuffed with evangelical Christians and Trumpsters. This allows me to see denial everywhere, but not engage it much for the simple consideration of keeping civil.

I often wonder. Could I say anything that will not be interpreted as cancel culture, or calling out?

In some ways, that people do not take the simple empowerment steps of using canvas shopping bags, turning ignitions off in stopped vehicles, avoiding plastic water bottles, putting food waste in garbage…

That robot maid ate the rug again.”

“What?” Josh called after Fred. They were whirling around IO for what felt like the millionth time.

Boredom, not necessity, had inspired Fred to rewire Lilith to clean ‘the carpet’— actually just a broad length of canvas. Together, they had painted it — back when Janice was still alive — for recreation, and psyche calming.

To bring in “a bit of jungle earth” Josh had said. Fred and Janice both were reluctant artists at first, but after mastering the organic scrawl of vines across darker splotches of green, they agreed. …

They say that the egg is the most perfect object ever to exist. Why?

It is because an egg is nearly, but not entirely, symmetrical. They come in almost infinite, gorgeous colors, textures, patterns, and sizes. They are astonishingly efficient. But most of all, they begin most lives.

Even your life.

We all come from an ovum, oocyte, or egg. Whatever you call it, it was half of “WE” before we were we.

A mama Robin moved in upon the watering can at the summer cabin.

We carefully unclick and close the front door, slowly. We don’t want to disturb…

Most of the time, a baby doesn’t happen

Let’s begin with just one simple fact. Most meetings of sperm and egg that DO result in fertilization do NOT result in pregnancy. At least, that is in humans. Most other animals have not been researched enough to make an appropriate estimate.

That seventy percent of all embryos do not survive mitosis — cell division — should indicate to every one human that although some women do choose the struggle to have children, it is not an easy or guaranteed result.

In fact, most of a woman’s life is spent in infertile years. From ages zero to fifteen, fertility is…

Racism among family and friends

Visiting relatives last week, the topic of racism raised its ugly, misunderstood mug. “I truly believe that ALL lives matter,” said the one I shall refer to as “the Christian.”

I sighed heavily, as I so often do.

If you have ever spent a weekend visiting relatives who, strangely, live in an entirely different world than your own, you understand.

I find myself so distracted and confused, wondering “Is Tucker Carlson the King in this strange land? Did I miss something?”

The difficulty is not that Christian is wrong — or even that I am wrong — the difficulty is…

Examine your core values, beliefs, and belonging

Day by day

There are two foundational ideas that each of us operates within every day that we live.

However, we have to struggle with cognitive dissonance on a regular basis because these two concepts tend to cancel one another out. Each of us, experiences both types of thought at different times and places.

These are extremely unconscious, and hard-wired programs, that we run on. Survival dictates that we incorporate them into our lives. We need a sense of “This must be right,” in order to function. They support our core identity. …

Origins

When consciousness is tossed, does the whole treasure get lost?

Originally, I just wanted to write a poem about the moon.

This happened:

Four billion years before your birth, moon shone down on sea
With silver arms she reached and pulled, straining at apogee
Three billion years before your birth, sea’s gleaming heart felt light
Sparkling dance, liquid romance, with full moon bursting bright
Two billion years before your birth, an explosion of life emerged
Then, one billion years ago, our consciousness was stirred

Looking down upon a silver pool, I’m watching moon on ocean
Metallic light glitters tonight. …

You are

We have all heard about how we are what we think, we are what we “put out into the universe.” If you have only negative energy, the theory goes, you will attract only negativity through your stubborn, and unyielding “mindset.” Think positively, and you reap what you sow.

It’s true is some ways, but not in every way.

I go all kinds of crazy when I hear this type of talk. Yes, we have natural laws of attraction. The four known ones are the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, the electromagnetic force and gravity. The strong and weak…