Let's get Together

A poem and an outside post, post-Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We’re entering the season of togetherness once again which is so wonderful (and which makes solitude that much more special too).

In the spirit of cooperation, I wanted to share with you that another newsletter, a creative journal called Juke, published a poem of mine, which you can read here:

Thursday Night Football

I hope you’ll check out the writers of Juke too. I’ve found some wonderful reading in this “sandbox masquerading as an arts journal.” It’s got several voices to discover and I’m so glad they’re including mine.

Collaboration is a wonderful thing, especially when for the last couple of years, my collaborative efforts have been the at-home sort. I’ve gotten a little isolated.

So togetherness is good for me. And besides the togetherness I witnessed watching Thursday Night Football or congregating to watch the US tie England in World Cup Football and besides dinners and family visits, we had a lovely virtual call with friends we couldn’t be with (thanks flu) and family who live far away. And it’s wonderful to have these tools. Of course, much has been said about the pitfalls of modern connection and ironies abound.

I see my own kids seemingly isolated on a video game but connected virtually to friends. Tiktok has revived the social dance. The creation of a personal brand for everyone is both constructive and destructive. What used to be an annual Christmas card is now a daily post which is great if you love Christmas cards, and difficult if it makes you feel less than.

Being physically together is good. Sometimes you’re even able to feel perfectly present, to be happy to be the host or the guest, happy to do be playing your part. Here’s to more of that this year.

A Sondheim lyric often says it best: “Best to take the moment present as a present for the moment.”

Here’s to togetherness. And here’s one more poem for ya.

Togetherness

Before we die
Let’s all have a hootenanny
Hollering and Wallowing 
In a circle all unbroken

When they tell you it’s time
I hope you’re singing harmony
Basking in the half steps
Surrounded by strings

The price of love is participation
So we ought to sing a song
Or hire a mariachi man
On the earth, lord, on the earth

Come ona my house
When darkness approaches
We’ll stretch out in it, 
Line dance like it’s a wedding day

I’ll feed you and we’ll toast
To the bygones and lang synes
O Holy hootenanny
We’ll be coming by and by

Me, my house, 2014?

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