Loose Leaf Notes

1. My poet friends Mary, Katherine and I are working on the three-way call-and-response poetry and tea reading we’re thinking of calling “Reveries of the Aging Mind.”

2. Meanwhile, my new poetry collection, Poems from the Dark Room, is available now on Amazon. This is my opus, the last in a trilogy, the mined gems of a life, magic beans thrown, a legacy sown. Story coming soon…

3. Depth Psychologists: We dig / and hit pay dirt / A vein / that shines / when polished / that runs / through the gray / of granite / A soul’s inheritance / Awakened subconscious

4. “What would Lao Tzu not do?” -Question from my Dharmacratic friend Will

5. “Trying to wrap my head around the fact that I will be dead for far longer than I was alive.” -My other friend Warren

6. “Zugzwang” is a German word that translates to ”compulsion to move” in the English language. The etymology of the word includes “zug,” which means “move,” and “zwang,” which means “compulsion.” In chess, the definition of zugzwang is when a player must make a move that will worsen their position. If a player is in zugzwang, every move available to them puts them at a disadvantage. According to the rules of chess, players cannot skip a move; therefore, if a player is in a zugzwang position, it’s very likely they will lose the game.”

7. “You’ll want the physicist to explain to those who loved you that they need not have faith; indeed, they should not have faith. Let them know that they can measure, that scientists have measured precisely the conservation of energy and found it accurate, verifiable and consistent across space and time. You can hope your family will examine the evidence and satisfy themselves that the science is sound and that they’ll be comforted to know your energy’s still around. According to the law of the conservation of energy, not a bit of you is gone; you’re just less orderly. Amen.” -Aaron Freeman.

8. Vanquish or vanish?

9. A trait or state of mind?

10. My last 7 letter Scrabble Bingo was “revives.”

11. Tom, the band’s lead guitarist and vocalist, called the gig “cozy.” Wendy, on guitar and vocals, said it felt like playing in someone’s living room. It reminded some of us long time Floydian dancers of dancing at the Floyd VFW back in the day (late 80s) when we were fundraising for Blue Mountain School and there were practically no live music venues in Floyd. More from Joe Had a KIND Birthday HERE

12. THIS is what happens when my grandsons don’t come over to smash or target practice on my pumpkins.

13. The sun is the usual suspect / the obvious diamond of stars / But the moon is a genie / with more than three wishes / and questions that are answered / only with guesses … Read Who Done It? in its entirety HERE.

__________Thirteen Thursday Poets at Work I is HERE.