I really couldn't help myself, Kathleen. "Mac's" comments so thoroughly infuriated me that I started replying, then realized it was ballooning into something that probably needed its own platform. I'm so glad it made you laugh! It was entirely satisfying to create. 😊
And if poetry is the result, honored to be. I will try to remember next time I'm stung by a comment, to attempt putting it to verse. Talk about lemonade outta lemons. 😊 Best.
How sublime! Yes, indeed, we ought to dance, sing, bask in the laughter of children, read and write poetry, and pay attention to bluebirds ESPECIALLY at a time like this! Thank you for this gem!
Omg...priceless. I loved it! And I loved K's piece and will never understand the haters. Lol. Great response. Remember that little dude in Gulliver's Travels? "We are all doomed"....yeah. Up theirs. Be happy and stick it to 'em.
OMG! That was a doozy of a poem, Mary. There you go again, telling it like it is. Kathleen's piece was indeed inspiring. It reminded me of the meadow larks that were so common here in NM 10 or maybe 20 years ago. I was prompted by the thought to search on you tube for their beautiful song. I just listened to it, and it brought tears to my eyes. Hadn't heard it in so long. Thanks to both of you for this. I'm tempted to ask you, who's Mac? xox
Thanks, Rocket! Makes me so happy that Kathleen and I teamed up in such a way, without even knowing it. "Mac" is a stand-in name for a commenter on Kathleen's piece...
Oh my! YES yes and more yes! I love Kathleen’s piece and yours, Mary. SO MUCH! What a wacky world we’re living in. Yesterday, the only “productive” thing I did was watch the Junkos and Bluejays feasting on the seeds and peanuts I put out for them. Food for them and medicine for my nervous system. 🩵🥰
Wisdom with a poignant touch've beauty! The sharp-clawed, large-beaked, fleet footed ostrich, who doesn't see any of the evils in the world, only sees darkness in the sand. Fer all his might an' well-appointed avian weaponry, he'll miss his chance ta run if danger nears. AND he won't see the sky, the sun, or the other birds that soar, nor will he hear their singin' voices.
So we humans should indeed look ta the little birds of blue for a "way clear"--the "little bluebirds" that warn Snow White of danger but also choose ta fly free in the skies, baskin' in the sun, avoidin' the hawks, nestin' in the trees, never ones fer sand or darkness. They are light!
Yer poem makes me think of a couple beautiful tunes, hope ya don't mind my sharin' 'em since music too takes flight in the sky--an' in our very beings... lute, flute, harp play on!
Interesting you would bring up ostriches!! I was all set to write a poem about them a few months back, but then I did some research on them and APPARENTLY, they do not hide their heads in the sand -- it just looks like that when they are tending to the eggs they bury in the sand. Ah, more myths!
Such beautiful tunes; thanks for sharing them, Daisy! That Fleetwood Mac album was one of my faves way back when... xox
Ah, I had once read 'bout "operation bluebird"--how nefarious of the CIA (havin' co-opted Mockin' Birds already). But yup, an' I'm recallin' other fairy tails where they give warnin' ta help or guide the lost hero / heroine of the story--sweet creatures, helpful ta us human beans. Ha, I didn't know that ostriches didn't really hide their heads but the myth serves well (just like them piggies ain't sloppy at all! an' eatin' like a bird means eatin' double yer weight!) but I like the "image" anyway with apologies ta all them ostriches. I do here they'll eat jus' bout anything like goats!) Wull sure, beautiful tunes ta go with yer beautiful words!
Your words were written with so much passion and so much realism. I shook while sitting on my chair. I wanted to yell at you...I wanted to scream, you're mistaken. I wanted to slap you...and then I tried and realized I was looking in the mirror and slapping myself...I suddenly despised the laughter of children, the sunsets and sunrises, the smell of a rose - it all made no sense to me. I felt infected...I could feel the pessimism flowing through my blood... But...wait...I...can't...ignore...the...beauty...of...the...bluebirds...singing...outside...my...window.
LOL. After reading all the comments to Kathleen's post, all, I quickly identified "Mac". Just guessing, but maybe a young berserker in the heat of battle — one who had never spent time on the field before the armies arrived, and most likely will never revisit that field long after the fallen have turned to dust and are pushing daisies.
I have heard the best revenge, and in this case 'comeback', is to lead a good life. With stinging wit, you've shared a great photo-negative of such a life.
I only become fully human after a strong cup of coffee, but will revisit Kathleen and drop a similar note. Her post reminds me of perhaps my favorite book ... Aldo Leopold's "A Sand County Almanac". Will go into a bit more detail there. Gotta first at least smell the coffee.
Jan 16·edited Jan 20Liked by Mary Poindexter McLaughlin
Wish I had the resources to be here more often. Your 'boil-over' is that of an educated person's slow burn, but yeah, I can feel the need for a punching bag work-out.
My guess about 'Mac' might be oversimplified, but I'm triangulating from all the stuff I see in 'private' F.B. groups ... mostly about elements of the shock doctrine being played out on the world stage. Brings in fundamentalists and ideologues of all types, and being such, tend to think their way is the only way. They seem to be tone deaf to speaking in metaphors and behaving with humility.
Between short spurts of reading last night, I kept the boob-tube movie channel running for the sound of another human voice, looked up, and caught glimpses of the movie "Agora" with Rachel Weiss playing the role of Hypatia. Could not help but to think of modern day reactionaries as the equivalence of the mobs of Alexandria.
You and Kathleen are a much needed breath of fresh air, all too uncommon common sense wrapped in rhythm and rhyme, again, revealing the world in a grain of sand, and again, most will be blinded by either fire and fury or spectacles of bread and circuses.
Yesterday, Japan time, I revisited Kathleen's Bluebird post and after a brief exchange, copy-pasted a short chapter from Leopold's book. Here's the thread that got us started ...
Thanks to a handful of writers like you and Kathleen, I feel like I am sitting in on a professional writer's master class, though a bit embarrassed to go back and catch my typos long after posting in the heat-of-the-moment. Yet another reason I'm a terminal student.
Keeping warm on a bleak Tokyo Saturday ... between fellow unisauruses (unisauri?) and dinacorns (Ha ... sounds like the title of an undiscovered classic by Shel Silverstein 🤣), bottoms up with yet another mug of my favorite psychoactive.
Thank you, Mary, for that powerful, incisive poem! 🙏
You made me laugh with gratitude.
Thank you echoing the message (and linking) and then amplifying it with humor and poetry as the wordsmith you are.
"Ignore sunsets!
Children laughing!
The smell of gardenias!
THEY can’t help you!"
Still laughing. Sending virtual hugs!
I really couldn't help myself, Kathleen. "Mac's" comments so thoroughly infuriated me that I started replying, then realized it was ballooning into something that probably needed its own platform. I'm so glad it made you laugh! It was entirely satisfying to create. 😊
Happy to be of service!
And if poetry is the result, honored to be. I will try to remember next time I'm stung by a comment, to attempt putting it to verse. Talk about lemonade outta lemons. 😊 Best.
How sublime! Yes, indeed, we ought to dance, sing, bask in the laughter of children, read and write poetry, and pay attention to bluebirds ESPECIALLY at a time like this! Thank you for this gem!
You're welcome! Yes, ESPECIALLY now. If we do not, then what will be left to fight for?
💯
Omg...priceless. I loved it! And I loved K's piece and will never understand the haters. Lol. Great response. Remember that little dude in Gulliver's Travels? "We are all doomed"....yeah. Up theirs. Be happy and stick it to 'em.
Thanks, SadieJay! How about "Living well is the best revenge"? Seems appropriate, too.
So perfect! I was just revising my NY Resolutions to include Do less. Do lots of nothing ;-)
That's genius. I'm going to put "Less" on my daily To Do lists!
OMG! That was a doozy of a poem, Mary. There you go again, telling it like it is. Kathleen's piece was indeed inspiring. It reminded me of the meadow larks that were so common here in NM 10 or maybe 20 years ago. I was prompted by the thought to search on you tube for their beautiful song. I just listened to it, and it brought tears to my eyes. Hadn't heard it in so long. Thanks to both of you for this. I'm tempted to ask you, who's Mac? xox
Thanks, Rocket! Makes me so happy that Kathleen and I teamed up in such a way, without even knowing it. "Mac" is a stand-in name for a commenter on Kathleen's piece...
Oh my! YES yes and more yes! I love Kathleen’s piece and yours, Mary. SO MUCH! What a wacky world we’re living in. Yesterday, the only “productive” thing I did was watch the Junkos and Bluejays feasting on the seeds and peanuts I put out for them. Food for them and medicine for my nervous system. 🩵🥰
Sounds like a day well-spent, dear Barbara!
When I woke up this morning there were dozens of little bird prints in the freshly fallen snow outside my door. 🐦 🥰
Wisdom with a poignant touch've beauty! The sharp-clawed, large-beaked, fleet footed ostrich, who doesn't see any of the evils in the world, only sees darkness in the sand. Fer all his might an' well-appointed avian weaponry, he'll miss his chance ta run if danger nears. AND he won't see the sky, the sun, or the other birds that soar, nor will he hear their singin' voices.
So we humans should indeed look ta the little birds of blue for a "way clear"--the "little bluebirds" that warn Snow White of danger but also choose ta fly free in the skies, baskin' in the sun, avoidin' the hawks, nestin' in the trees, never ones fer sand or darkness. They are light!
Yer poem makes me think of a couple beautiful tunes, hope ya don't mind my sharin' 'em since music too takes flight in the sky--an' in our very beings... lute, flute, harp play on!
Songbird -- Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTi19MPOvDw
Sparrow--Simon & Garfunkel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FniUPxpYYAU
I had forgotten that there were bluebirds warning Snow White! Such sweet creatures. Their goodness is probably why they were chosen to name "Operation Bluebird:" https://ahrp.org/bluebird-1949-1951-the-first-integrated-cia-mind-control-project/
Interesting you would bring up ostriches!! I was all set to write a poem about them a few months back, but then I did some research on them and APPARENTLY, they do not hide their heads in the sand -- it just looks like that when they are tending to the eggs they bury in the sand. Ah, more myths!
Such beautiful tunes; thanks for sharing them, Daisy! That Fleetwood Mac album was one of my faves way back when... xox
Ah, I had once read 'bout "operation bluebird"--how nefarious of the CIA (havin' co-opted Mockin' Birds already). But yup, an' I'm recallin' other fairy tails where they give warnin' ta help or guide the lost hero / heroine of the story--sweet creatures, helpful ta us human beans. Ha, I didn't know that ostriches didn't really hide their heads but the myth serves well (just like them piggies ain't sloppy at all! an' eatin' like a bird means eatin' double yer weight!) but I like the "image" anyway with apologies ta all them ostriches. I do here they'll eat jus' bout anything like goats!) Wull sure, beautiful tunes ta go with yer beautiful words!
Your words were written with so much passion and so much realism. I shook while sitting on my chair. I wanted to yell at you...I wanted to scream, you're mistaken. I wanted to slap you...and then I tried and realized I was looking in the mirror and slapping myself...I suddenly despised the laughter of children, the sunsets and sunrises, the smell of a rose - it all made no sense to me. I felt infected...I could feel the pessimism flowing through my blood... But...wait...I...can't...ignore...the...beauty...of...the...bluebirds...singing...outside...my...window.
I LOVE this, Jack. Thanks for the internal play-by-play... so funny and perfect, and my exact dream of what response piece might elicit!!
I pictured you sitting across from me with a pot of tea, as I listened. Perfect, Mary, as usual. 🩷💚
Boy, would I love that. Thanks for the image, Graciel. xox
Well, I never! Excellent.
LOL. After reading all the comments to Kathleen's post, all, I quickly identified "Mac". Just guessing, but maybe a young berserker in the heat of battle — one who had never spent time on the field before the armies arrived, and most likely will never revisit that field long after the fallen have turned to dust and are pushing daisies.
I have heard the best revenge, and in this case 'comeback', is to lead a good life. With stinging wit, you've shared a great photo-negative of such a life.
I only become fully human after a strong cup of coffee, but will revisit Kathleen and drop a similar note. Her post reminds me of perhaps my favorite book ... Aldo Leopold's "A Sand County Almanac". Will go into a bit more detail there. Gotta first at least smell the coffee.
Cheers Mary, and thanks for this post.
Your guess seems entirely plausible, and it's far more charitable than my quick boil-over reaction! I'm such a hot-head sometimes...😂
Will check out Leopold's almanac -- anything that smacks of Kathleen D is of GREAT interest. Thanks for being here, Steve!
Wish I had the resources to be here more often. Your 'boil-over' is that of an educated person's slow burn, but yeah, I can feel the need for a punching bag work-out.
My guess about 'Mac' might be oversimplified, but I'm triangulating from all the stuff I see in 'private' F.B. groups ... mostly about elements of the shock doctrine being played out on the world stage. Brings in fundamentalists and ideologues of all types, and being such, tend to think their way is the only way. They seem to be tone deaf to speaking in metaphors and behaving with humility.
Between short spurts of reading last night, I kept the boob-tube movie channel running for the sound of another human voice, looked up, and caught glimpses of the movie "Agora" with Rachel Weiss playing the role of Hypatia. Could not help but to think of modern day reactionaries as the equivalence of the mobs of Alexandria.
You and Kathleen are a much needed breath of fresh air, all too uncommon common sense wrapped in rhythm and rhyme, again, revealing the world in a grain of sand, and again, most will be blinded by either fire and fury or spectacles of bread and circuses.
Yesterday, Japan time, I revisited Kathleen's Bluebird post and after a brief exchange, copy-pasted a short chapter from Leopold's book. Here's the thread that got us started ...
https://devanneykathleen.substack.com/p/its-just-another-day/comment/47333599
Gotta wake up with a stiff cup of coffee.
It is cooooold in Tokyo this morning.
Cheers Mary!
Speaking in metaphors! Humility! HA! I think we may be dinosaurs, Steve. Or unicorns, I'm not sure which. 😂
I just love reading your comments. I always come away edified in some way. And usually amused, too!
Stay warm and don't ruin your gut, you javamonster.
Cheers back!!
Hi Mary.
Thanks to a handful of writers like you and Kathleen, I feel like I am sitting in on a professional writer's master class, though a bit embarrassed to go back and catch my typos long after posting in the heat-of-the-moment. Yet another reason I'm a terminal student.
Keeping warm on a bleak Tokyo Saturday ... between fellow unisauruses (unisauri?) and dinacorns (Ha ... sounds like the title of an undiscovered classic by Shel Silverstein 🤣), bottoms up with yet another mug of my favorite psychoactive.
Take care and keep 'em coming Mary!
Makes that coffee all the more tasty.