Bluebonnets of East Texas, 1961

My sister Kim and I in a field of bluebonnets, the Texas state flower, Easter 1961, road between Rockdale and Cameron, Texas. She was 1; I was 2 3/4 years old, according to my Dad's note on the back of the photo. I remember the occasion very well. It was hot and sticky, and the sun was bearing down on us, and there were bugs everywhere, and there were grass burs and stickers, and we were afraid of snakes and didn’t want to get our dresses and shoes dirty, and it was itchy in our Easter dresses, and we were crying and complaining. But our parents insisted, and they always loved this photo.  My mother had it framed in her home when she died, and I have it now--a small frame made of ivory-colored bone with an oval opening for the photo, which has faded on the outside, but not on the inside.  Happy birthday, Kim, February 18, 1960, and every year.  Forever, may your light shine.

Haikus for these times: Breath

My breath is a kiss

From inside to outside and

Back and forth with God

Haikus for these times

I have been watching
The unreality show
I wish it would stop.

Antarctic ice shelf cracks

Seventeen miles, two months

Nothing to see here...

Crack in Antarctic Ice Shelf

Do you really want

To destroy all life on earth?

What are you doing?

Today a young man

Told me others are using

Pseudonyms in case

Night falls under clouds

Covering earth and water

And I am the sky.

Imagine

Imagine if someone had run as a Republican who had Donald Trump's exact same policy positions and exact same wealth and experiences, exact same personality, exact same reputation in business, exact same kind of spouse and marital history, exact same performance in the debates, exact same refusal to release taxes, exact same potential conflicts of interest, exact same videotaped remarks about how he treats women, and exact same number of women accusing him of sexual assault, and gave the exact same types of speeches, and so on--everything was exactly the same--but he was a black man. 

And almost every one of his followers was black. And his main advisor was a black nationalist known for his extensive propagation of propaganda. 

Or he was any color other than white. 

Or he was a woman.