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“giving thanks

for one another, and the hands

of a sculptor” Giving thanks for you and your faith-filled artist’s sensibilities that you share to help us remember that goodness and inspiration are found everywhere!

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Mar 5, 2023Liked by Mary Poindexter McLaughlin

What the reverend said. 🙏

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So many good things are contagious too!!

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Very beautiful.

"Forces are gathering,

goodness is growing:

equal, opposite,

nature’s symmetry

reacting in kind

to meet iniquity, face to face."

Yes.

I thought of a quote CAF used on her recent interview with Greg Hunter. (paraphrasing) A single snowflake is not powerful, but enough of them can shut down NYC.

It's growing. Light and life will make a grand comeback. Thank you. 🙏

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Love the CAF sentiment... YES. Thank you, Kathleen.

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Mar 8, 2023Liked by Mary Poindexter McLaughlin

Thank you for sharing the beauty and grace surrounding and within you

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Mar 6, 2023Liked by Mary Poindexter McLaughlin

Mary, I never really "got" poetry, but because you included the inspiration I quite enjoyed the imagery of your writing.

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Thanks, JC!

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Mar 6, 2023Liked by Mary Poindexter McLaughlin

Whoa! 😳

I am still playing around with potential for A.I. to produce 2nd language lessons that are quicker, and more specific to the learner's level and interests than any standardized textbook could hope to be ... still on the cusp of unlocking some powerful tools that automate some of the sweat of curriculum design and classroom management.

But this piece of art brushes against peaks of individuality and the universal that I can't imagine A.I. displacing. It is a great answer to those who wonder if art can be artificially generated.

I can't even begin to imagine a human-generated ChatGPT prompt that could create anything like this. Such a prompt would have to be sculpted from the same consciousness that could produce such poetry in the first place. The law of diminishing returns appears to kick in. What it would take to create such a prompt compared to the lesser quality of what the A.I. spits out would be the equivalence of a huckster's perpetual motion/energy machine.

It is past the witching hour here in Japan, a jazz-guitar buddy stopped off for a midnight chat and visit on his way home from work, and we were talking about the passing of Wayne Shorter, his life and times, and some of his thoughts about the fundamental importance of the zen-like, pregnant 'nothing' of childhood play. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtUdqcWQVq0&t=536s, and his anger at the arrogance of those who would rule us ... whether it be by fear or algorithms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uN7B6zpjN0 (Just a heads up that neither my guitar buddy nor myself are Buddhists, and certainly not of the politically active and controversial sect that Wayne and Herbie Hancock have been attracted to, but we both acknowledge that as instrumentalists, what ever gets you through the night.)

My buddy left a bit after 1 am, and then I settled down to open your substack and read your poem. Upon finishing a first read, I was carried away with the rhythm and images, and am sitting here realizing there is no way in hell A.I. could produce this poem, or the impact of a life like Wayne Shorter's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl_wz325Zcs

But the life of a minimum-wage-slave at Walmart? Maybe. Particularly if the sociopathic ruling class has its way with us. Great art, and living-as-art defies them with every stroke of the keyboard, every stride around the block.

Great poetry Mary.

I am saving this somewhere on hard disc for repeated reads ... for inspiration, solace, and as a standard that hints at the limits of A.I.

Cheers to you Mary, much thanks, and good night from Japan.

🥰😴

steve

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Steve, thanks for your thoughts and your kind words about the poem. You have serious stamina to keep poking at AI -- when I signed out after a few hours, I was DONE. I hope you can get it to provide the help you're looking for re: curriculum design. Seems like a decent use for it.

I loved this: "Such a prompt would have to be sculpted from the same consciousness that could produce such poetry in the first place. The law of diminishing returns appears to kick in." Amen, brother. The same holds true for your description of the time spent with your buddy. There's poetry in that, too. (I'm looking forward to checking out your YouTube links... I'm at the library right now and it's vewy, vewy qwiet...)

Totally agree on the pregnant "nothing" of childhood play. That's one of my favorite soapboxes. And re: Walmart...don't get me started.

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Mar 5, 2023Liked by Mary Poindexter McLaughlin

Beautiful, Mary!

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Thanks, Jane! xox

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Mar 5, 2023Liked by Mary Poindexter McLaughlin

It’s good to be nestled in a sandbag with you, Dear Mary. Onward with love, indomitable hearts and excellent poems for the Soul. 🕊

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It is. Happy we found each other, dear one. Onward, indeed!

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You definitely are inspired all right! You just keep cranking them out. This sculpture, and your words couldn't be any more perfectly matched. I agree with Kathleen's choice of words to highlight. F

"Forces are gathering". Things are looking up, "something is moving", and there is more reason every day to "realistically" imagine reaching that point of critical mass where enough of us are of one mind to put us on a new trajectory.

I just have to add that I had to google that Colin O'Leary. OMG! he is hysterical, hilarious, like nothing I've ever seen before. I laughed so hard at his videos, especially his car rides with his mother. I think if enough people watched one of his videos at the same time we could raise our vibrational frequency enough to blast us well on our way. Here's a couple of links just to give everyone a taste. Dinner with the O'Leary's https://youtu.be/F0VH1RgNsOk 2 min. (watch his mother); and Act I O'Leary Car Ride Show Tunes, about 4 min. https://youtu.be/wkaxyOxabfw (his mother is priceless).

I can't thank you enough for the laughs, Mary. You must have known about his other talents, being the theater person that you are. XOX

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Rocket! Thank you for the love that always radiates from your comments -- this one included!

I have to laugh... The Colin O'Leary I know is NOT the one you've discovered and linked to... But I'm glad you enjoyed this other guy ,😂

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Mar 6, 2023Liked by Mary Poindexter McLaughlin

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! Now that has made me laugh even more than his hilarious skits. And the joke was on me! (I don't know how to paste those emoji faces, but I would have done several lines of them.) I surely do hope you got a few good laughs out of this too. Thank God that you do have a great sense of humor, Mary. And you're absolutely right about feeling the love for you that radiates from my comments...always. xox!!

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Mar 6, 2023Liked by Mary Poindexter McLaughlin

Mary, sorry to bother you with one more comment. FYI, I found "my" Colin O'Leary by clicking on the link of his name that was under the photo of the sculpture on your article. It took me to an Instagram page where there was a youtube link which took me to the first of the videos of his car rides with his mother, and the rest is history. So I'm innocent!!! xox

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OMG OMG OMG you are RIGHT and I owe you a big fat apology!!! I gotta say, when I met him on the beach he did NOT give off the theatre vibe -- now it's my turn to laugh and laugh...😂😂😂😂😂😂 THANK YOU for figuring this out and letting me know!!!! xox

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Mar 7, 2023Liked by Mary Poindexter McLaughlin

That is so crazy funny! I wanted to ask you if you had actually walked by the sculpture there on the beach. What a treat for you to come upon that, and then to write your poem. I've been envious of you living there near such beautiful beaches. It looks like your move worked out pretty damn good afterall. But you've got to admit, that guy is something else! I'm glad we had this shared experience. Hahahahaha!! xox

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