what's good [late edition]
Pretend it's Sunday again!
In poetry: A seemingly simple look at perceptions of people & identity…poignant and melancholy yet strong.
Read + listen to Jericho Brown reciting in an interview with Poetry magazine editors.
The Card Tables by Jericho Brown
Stop playing. You do remember the card tables,
Slick stick figures like men with low-cut fades,
Short but standing straight
Because we bent them into weak display.
What didn’t we want? What wouldn’t we claim?
How perfectly each surface was made
For throwing or dropping or slamming a necessary
Portion of our pay.
And how could any of us get by
With one in the way?
Didn’t that bare square ask to be played
On, beaten in the head, then folded, then put away,
All so we could call ourselves safe
Now that there was more room, a little more space?In music: Montero Lamar Hill, aka Lil Nas X, is a lovely, kind, savvy, funny, & multi-talented young man (please click on each adjective to read about his remarkable gestures + ventures). He is exactly between the ages of my own children, which makes some/most of his songs & videos a tad uncomfortable for this momlady to fully get into, but I can appreciate supreme style, artistry, and skill so I’m sharing him as a Good Thing this week.
This particular song & video poignantly illustrates the It Gets Better mantra as Lil Nas X reflects on his own experiences as a gay Black boy. I love his tender voice and how he gently interacts with his young uncertain self. Please enjoy, and also let this be a reminder that we still, in this 21st century America, have people afraid to be themselves out loud - to the point of not wanting to live anymore. Keep giving love + support, readers, even when you think someone is doing fine.
In pretty things: I bought myself new shoes from Portland Leather Goods - two pairs actually, but only one arrived in my size [the company is graciously remedying the issue now]. They are making me & my feet terrifically happy.
And despite my grossly inconsistent gardening habits, my summer flowers are blooming and attracting bees. Here is the Millenium [the breeder spelled it this way when registering his hybrid…sigh. Clearly not a Star Wars fan] Allium thriving in our backyard, with some blurry English lavender behind them joining the pollination party.
I've been messed up on days for the past week, so I'll gladly pretend it's still Sunday. The only flowers I have now that are even slightly happy are the cosmos and sunflowers... everything else was wilted terribly from our dry, dry heat.
SO many good things! Thank you for sharing <3