Encouragement

poetry

Kay Ryan, "We’re Building the Ship as We Sail It"

...you shouldn’t reason the same way in emergencies as you do when things are normal.

poetry

Kay Ryan, "Crocodile Tears"

The tropes are in charge, far more than actual people.

poetry

Marcin Świetlicki, "Photograph"

It is not a loss to recognize how you remember and how you love.

poetry

Robert Creeley, "Small Time"

Robert Creeley's "Small Time" is a conversational poem.

poetry

Emily Dickinson, "Spring is the Period" (844)

You will have your days on Earth and they will be numbered.

poetry

Marcin Świetlicki, "April 1, Wągrowiec, Poland"

Świetlicki grabs you, spins you around, and throws you into a dark, remote place.

american politics

Explainer: You Need To Be Aware of the $45 Million Military Parade Trump Wants On His Birthday

If you saw a leader of another country have a massive military parade on their birthday, what would you think about that country?

Eavan Boland, "Mirror. Memory"

If money enables us to see value, how can we possibly see the poor?

philosophy

Regarding Three Posts by Helen De Cruz

The philosopher Helen De Cruz announced on Bluesky that she is in hospice care.

annotation

Katherine Withy, "Authenticity and Heidegger's Antigone"

Heidegger calls only Sophocles' Antigone authentic.

education

Preparing for Summer

Not only are the feds eliminating programs communities have relied on, but jobs will more than likely be in short supply.

poetry

Jennifer Chang, "Ceremony"

Ceremonies ask you to commit.

education

Remarks for an Induction Ceremony for Sigma Kappa Delta, Psi Alpha Chapter

The Sigma Kappa Delta, Psi Alpha chapter of Odessa College welcomes all of its inductees.

poetry

Franz Wright, "P.S."

Wright establishes empathy with an animal's ordeal.

poetry

Frederick Seidel, "Snow"

The being of snow is its activity.

education

Remarks for Sigma Kappa Delta, Psi Alpha Chapter's Poetry Night, "Sprouts in Spring"

I like to think we're here to find our voices by listening to others find theirs.

Explainer: What is happening with Texas public schools and why should you care?

Why should you care? You're being lied to about the future.

poetry

Kobayashi Issa, "On a branch…"

An insect makes their own boat and then launches into their opera, like a Venetian gondolier.

poetry

Kei Miller, "Book of Genesis"

God creates, exercising their freedom, and frees.

philosophy

Onur Karamercan, "Heidegger's Antigone: The Ethos of Poetic Existence"

...authenticity, especially in this age of relentless fandom, is something we yearn for but don't realize it.

poetry

Natalie Diaz, "From the Desire Field"

"From the Desire Field" is most certainly living in the fullest sense, a sense I want.

education

We Grow Together, or Year in Review for Sigma Kappa Delta, Psi Alpha Chapter AY 2024-25

I should preface this year in review by saying we're not done yet.

american politics

What does it mean to be Texan?

Our guide for this question will be Steve Lovelace's fantastic meditation in a blog post aptly titled "What Does It Mean to Be a Texan?"

poetry

Carol Snow, "Tour"

The recognition that everything is sacred means recognizing the beauty and necessity of the fallen blossoms.

poetry

Emily Dickinson, "When I have seen the Sun emerge" (888)

Dickinson's "When I have seen the Sun emerge" is an easy poem to indulge.