I live near a hospital and it has been expanding to accommodate broken Iowans, including a cancer treatment center. The hospital cut down trees for their expansion. One tree hosted some crows. They spread out looking for a new home. They picked my tree. But when the granddaughters swept up the large fledglings that scattered in the yard, carrying them like babies, the crows decided to move on. Not sure why I'm rambling except that you inspired me this morning.
As a young kid, a friend and I drank clear looking water from an old Coke bottle we dipped into a little creek out in the field just east of his place. Only in later years did I realize it was also east of their farm’s outdoor cattle lot. Reality was what we made it.
It’s becoming surprising how many of us were gulping down various forms of unclean water as kids. Like I told someone else, I tell myself it helped my immune system. I believe the content and amount of chemicals are more potent and prevalent these days.
Reading this, I feel I have been meandering with you down one of your Iowa rivers, listening to the birds sing through the silence. And it is beautiful!
As a young kid I remember drinking water from field tile. And swimming in the creek (crik) not far from our house. Clean cool and refreshing. Or so we thought. Today those in charge know it’s not and all but look the other way as we're poisoned.
Yep. I tell myself it was just enough to strengthen my immunity system back then. 😊 The chemicals have become more prevalent and invasive now. Thanks for reading.
Thanks for the reminder just to dream. And have you noticed how loud the SILENCE is coming from the politicians who are ignoring cancer and water quality?!
You certainly made me take a trip down memory lane. I grew up on an Iowa family farm in the 40’s and 50’s. My father is rolling over in his grave at what Iowa AG has become. He raised everything that would grow and respected the land that allowed him to prosper.
Beautifully written. Having read dozens of creation myths, I draw this conclusion: No culture has a plausible answer for the questions "Where did we come from?" and "Why are we here?" In short, it was all a terrible accident. And over the course of 6,000 years, civilization is the final ending of that chains reaction accident. In the next billion years, Gaia will clean up the wreckage.
Much as I loved this post, I disagree with the notion the we should write only when the spirit moves us. Write every day, even if it is only a random thought on the back of a napkin. The muse Calliope will not visit unless we invite her.
Jim Harrison's writing is a touchstone.
Please keep writing. Your words may be a shout into a chaotic shitstorm, and yet that shout may be heard and understood and will pull us back to sanity.
Sure. I guess I do think of what I’m writing everyday, and I write ten minutes a day, but that’s me. Required for everyone—no. Although try to hard and the words do halt and grind and sound contrived
This is such a great piece. "Where hospital cancer wards aren’t overlooking football fields, which are sponsored by the very Big Ag corporations which are causing the kids to have cancer in the first place." It's so crazy that Iowans put profits ahead of people so much of the time, and then wonder why young people don't want to stay in Iowa anymore.
This is a beautiful piece! Oh yes! Silence is my best friend, always tugging at my sleeve. Once I had a hermitage in Kansas and when I drove down the lane, my soul would say: This is the real world. Thank you.
Thank you for bringing tears to birth, sounds of sadness to silence and seeing the magic surrounding us all. Love.
Wow. A comment from you. I’m honored. Thanks Mark.
I live near a hospital and it has been expanding to accommodate broken Iowans, including a cancer treatment center. The hospital cut down trees for their expansion. One tree hosted some crows. They spread out looking for a new home. They picked my tree. But when the granddaughters swept up the large fledglings that scattered in the yard, carrying them like babies, the crows decided to move on. Not sure why I'm rambling except that you inspired me this morning.
Ha. I rambled so much I spent weeks on a post about them 😀
As a young kid, a friend and I drank clear looking water from an old Coke bottle we dipped into a little creek out in the field just east of his place. Only in later years did I realize it was also east of their farm’s outdoor cattle lot. Reality was what we made it.
Thank you for this poetic and thoughtful post.
It’s becoming surprising how many of us were gulping down various forms of unclean water as kids. Like I told someone else, I tell myself it helped my immune system. I believe the content and amount of chemicals are more potent and prevalent these days.
Reading this, I feel I have been meandering with you down one of your Iowa rivers, listening to the birds sing through the silence. And it is beautiful!
Oh wow. Such a nice comment. It is how I feel when I’m wading the spring creeks. Thanks
As a young kid I remember drinking water from field tile. And swimming in the creek (crik) not far from our house. Clean cool and refreshing. Or so we thought. Today those in charge know it’s not and all but look the other way as we're poisoned.
Yep. I tell myself it was just enough to strengthen my immunity system back then. 😊 The chemicals have become more prevalent and invasive now. Thanks for reading.
Thanks for the reminder just to dream. And have you noticed how loud the SILENCE is coming from the politicians who are ignoring cancer and water quality?!
Yes. That's measured and crass silence, not listening silence. Thanks for reading.
You certainly made me take a trip down memory lane. I grew up on an Iowa family farm in the 40’s and 50’s. My father is rolling over in his grave at what Iowa AG has become. He raised everything that would grow and respected the land that allowed him to prosper.
Beautifully written. Having read dozens of creation myths, I draw this conclusion: No culture has a plausible answer for the questions "Where did we come from?" and "Why are we here?" In short, it was all a terrible accident. And over the course of 6,000 years, civilization is the final ending of that chains reaction accident. In the next billion years, Gaia will clean up the wreckage.
Much as I loved this post, I disagree with the notion the we should write only when the spirit moves us. Write every day, even if it is only a random thought on the back of a napkin. The muse Calliope will not visit unless we invite her.
Jim Harrison's writing is a touchstone.
Please keep writing. Your words may be a shout into a chaotic shitstorm, and yet that shout may be heard and understood and will pull us back to sanity.
Sure. I guess I do think of what I’m writing everyday, and I write ten minutes a day, but that’s me. Required for everyone—no. Although try to hard and the words do halt and grind and sound contrived
This is such a great piece. "Where hospital cancer wards aren’t overlooking football fields, which are sponsored by the very Big Ag corporations which are causing the kids to have cancer in the first place." It's so crazy that Iowans put profits ahead of people so much of the time, and then wonder why young people don't want to stay in Iowa anymore.
Ha. Yeah. I heard Chris Jones tell that one example. But it’s all around us.
This is a beautiful piece! Oh yes! Silence is my best friend, always tugging at my sleeve. Once I had a hermitage in Kansas and when I drove down the lane, my soul would say: This is the real world. Thank you.
Oh. Yeah. The vastness of silence is only missed because people don’t give it a chance.
Yes. Common sense seems to have evaporated somewhere along the line for a majority of the population. Thank you for reading and commenting
Oops, Steve!
I wonder if Dave's get called Steve as much as I get called Dave, haha