It has been a long, emotional, odious 12 days in America. And, I’m an offensively privileged person who will likely not be personally damaged by the upcoming administration, not counting the mental anguish I’ll have watching everyone without my skin color, sexuality, citizenship, access to health care, and general good luck suffer through. I am grievously sorry for the state of our nation; I will continue doing whatever I can + some more to improve people’s lives. Even1 the foolishly ignorant ones who landed us here.
On with the good stuff.
In poetry: First, I appreciate this poem as a bird fan, one who talks to them regularly from my kitchen window or the porch where I desperately entreat them2 to be my friends. But as a fellow poet, I’m in love with the images of the cardinal’s “quick coin of breath” and “his own feathers/red as wrough blood.” And I cannot help but see the two birds making such different choices for their lives as voters in our recent election - the male fighting no real enemy while the female watches with patient optimism, maybe based on her decision to prepare while he postured?
To the Cardinal, Attacking His Reflection in the Window by Leah Naomi Green “It is your very self” I tell him. He has never seen me. His quick coin of breath disappears on the glass as it forms: air that feeds his bones their portion willingly as it feeds mine. He spends his here, besieged by the dull birds who gather and whom he cannot touch, his own feathers red as wrought blood. Dear bird, how many selves must you vanquish? In the mornings, his wings are backlit. They are beating, delicate, cruciform, hollow feather, hollow bone. In the blizzard his furor is the only color, the only shape. He is waiting for the coward to come out. There is nothing all winter he has saved to eat. I saw a female the day before he disappeared. Her beak just as orange, her body, calm, watched his. I made voices for her: variations on the pride and hemmed patience of women I’d known whose husbands did insistent, strong, and strange things. Maybe she knew it was spring. I didn’t. The next day he came once to throw the bright dime of his life to the walled world, as if to make sure it was not feather against feather that hurt him.
In books: I impulse-bought3 Liane Moriarty’s latest novel Here One Moment because I enjoy her way of instantly engaging me in the lives of unique4 characters as they endure issues that are somehow simultaneously mundane + startlingly extraordinary. This one centers on brief afternoon flight - familiar thing - where a woman addresses her fellow passengers individually with a prediction of each person’s death - unnerving twist. Each ensuing chapter is told from the point of view of a few key passengers in addition to observations & information from the “Death Lady.” The overarching question throughout is one of choice - if you knew how & when you were to die, what would you do differently? We, like a lot of the characters, think we already live each day with intention, but do we really?
In shopping: Know your product families better by downloading apps like Buycott and Goods Unite Us so you can simply point at a UPC and find out where your money will be going. With Buycott, you can also load your top concerns like LGBTQ+ rights, factory farming, and equal pay as well as search for preferences like BIPOC/women-owned companies, fair trade certified, and union-made. Goods United Us includes celebrities5 in the mix plus has a place to send requests for research.
Even better, however, is to do as much of your purchasing at thrift/consignment shops or at local/independent businesses. I’ve mentioned a bunch in my previous what’s good newsletters, from coffee & tea to bookstores (via Bookshop6) & candlemakers.
Happy choosing!
Qualified: I am, however, dedicated to not supporting nasty billionaires through my meager purchases as best I can, but they can be sneaky bastards. #LookingStraightAtYouKochBros
Mostly the corvids though; I’m always drawn to the ones who pretend I don’t exist.
…then gave away on my neighborhood Buy Nothing group. #MakingCommunityChoices!
I appreciate that for attempting to guide readers’ imaginations toward character diversity, Moriarity tends to use names & backgrounds & language as ethnic and/or cultural indicators, rather than employing cringy adjectives like ‘exotic’ or ‘caramel’ or ‘dark.’
Though it could use a little more substantial info about their political leanings - e.g. Republican-branded Arnold Schwarzenegger did endorse Kamala Harris for President
Great online space created by this thoughtful dude where you can choose your nearest/dearest independent bookstore to support.
I love that poem and man, is it appropriate and apt! Like you, I'm girding my loins and maintaining my weekly habit of reminding my elected officials what is important because they need to keep hearing--from lots of us! Thanks for the tip on purchasing. I try to think of it, but there are so many companies to keep track of. That's a handy tool to have an app. Choices indeed. I've told several people in response to their complaints "FAFO". Like you, I'm positioned to weather this storm, but those who effed around will find out in too many bad ways to count, and lots of others will be caught in the crossfire. It's so unfair.