Peck, scratch, flap. Birds dine, not alone, but with bird pals fluttering nearby. My bowl, mine. My food. Gobble, lick, chow down, wary until cleaned bowls swapped. Pottery in white sets off precious portions to tempt the man outside. Mothers lament why we will not cooperate, share what we are given.
Folded cardboard box Stays the earth’s damp, but rain Ruins doorway sleep. High end fashion pumps Click him into the day light — So close to his head. More, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, but not for him.
This past weekend I touched a $2,135 sweater. No one stopped me, so I touched the $965 matching pants. Over $3,000 before underpants or socks or shoes. As I am thinking this week about our long-term commitment to our own well-being, the well-being of others, and the well-being of all — well, frankly I cannot…
The vote by UWM faculty this week to express their lack of confidence in the leadership of both the UW System Chancellor, Ray Cross, and the Board of Regents prompts me to reflect on my identity as a UWM alumnus and academic staff person. Even as I write this post, I am tempted to use…
As my semester is winding down, I am mentally reviewing the class that I taught this semester. It is loads more fun to review my lecture notes, slides, and activities than to read papers or prepare for the final. I have been teaching for 47 years; I think I would like to make it to…
Especially during election season, it seems the use of the phrase social contract gets a boost in frequency. It is like watching 1,400 sales of Prince’s albums in the day before his death soar to .75 million the day after. One party is much more likely to use the expression, the other preferring words like…
My late husband, Paul Mandracchia, loved to vote and nothing could dissuade him from doing so. Those who knew Paul were aware that the last several years of his life it took him forever to get dressed. Often there were three of us in on that project. Usually Jose or Anneke or Leslie joined me…
Ten men waiting for me at the door? Send one of them home, I’m tired. — Mae West She might have loved a man who took his time, but Mae West was otherwise a woman who did not wait. At age five she was performing on church and community stages in her New York neighborhood.…
Your heart is full of fertile seeds, waiting to sprout. — Morihei Ueshiba A friend asked me a while back if I ever got tired. I responded that most nights I fall asleep within ten minutes of putting my head on the pillow, so yes, I get tired. His probe went a bit further then.…
Creating Community for Everyone 