They are not the first thing to open in spring; they are late bloomers. By mid-April, when the dogwood sheds its blossoms to create a white mantle around its trunk, sign painters are freshening the plywood placards that bear the welcomed words: “HOMEGROWN TOMATOES” or “FRESH STRAWBERRIES — PICK YOUR OWN”. Out of their winter’s hibernation, the produce stands emerge once again. Undaunted by the dormant months, they spread the good news that the earth is once again about to create its glorious garden of homegrown goods. Mother Nature is open for business. Many of us have our […]
Democracy of the Dawn
All creatures, great and small, enjoy the democracy of dawn. Like the biblical rains, the sun shines on the just and the unjust. Each day arrives as a gift to be enjoyed. Each day begins as a clean slate ready for each artist to create a little piece of their own destiny. Each day is a portion of a patchwork quilt that will make up all the days of our lives. And no matter our condition or station in life, the day ahead is ours for the taking. Carpe diem, and all that jazz. The poet’s prayer speaks something for […]
Planetary Patriotism
“Dear God, I am an American. What are you?” That’s what one small child wrote in her letter to God. Another asked, “Who draws the lines around the countries?” Those are fairly simple questions, but they cut to the complexities of a world order that is still being driven by some old nationalisms. Mark Twain once noted that “Man is the only patriot. Sets himself within the lines of his own country and hires assassins at a great price to protect those lines. We have done this so that there is not an acre of earth left that is in […]
Heaven on Earth
Growing up, I was captivated by the stars above our backyard smack dab in the middle of Mississippi. When darkness settled on the face of the earth, I was out there aiming my little telescope toward the heavens. With only a small window of sky between the pecan and magnolia trees, I was able to see enough to start dreaming about becoming an astronomer. When I was fifteen, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, and the space race was on in earnest. You could see that scudder through my homemade observatory, and neighbors would wander into my backyard for a glimpse. […]