Hey Adam. There is mad beaver activity hear on the land right now. Dam made is symbiosis rather than brutality. Teachers to relearn the right relation to river. So much is scale and footprint.
Hey Andrew, I could write "wow!" as always to convey the wonder, sense of what?, and gratitude after i read your gift words, however i am not satisfied with that neatly packaged, convenient response. Too easy. Akin to asking one of the numerous faces of AI that have popped up here there and seemingly everywhere: "write a one-word response to Andrew of Bog-down and Aster that conveys a sense of wonder and new discovery, a sense of the richness of historical words, even Scripture, becoming midrash if we are willing to participate in the weaving, and a profound exploration of ein sof "dimensions" that would make a physicist blush."
Thanks as always brother. I'll need more time with your midrash this time! I need to journey into that clearing.....not just with my "head" but with "all of me"....my personal tikkun olam beginning with my own inner world!
Hey Andrew! You are the apple of my Substack:) It always takes me a few days to chew, mull, regurgitate and ruminate on your musings. I’m so grateful for the elegant dance you are in with this world. I find it interesting that those, I count myself in this category, who feel the most alienated, the most alone (Alone) are also those who perceive the deepest degrees of connection in this world. To steal a phrase, “Rilke comes to mind…” This is the Aloneness that does not feel Alone or leave one in a state of loneliness and despair. This is the Aloneness that Christ sought on the mountain, in the desert and ultimately on the cross. It is the Aloneness that kept the Desert Fathers in the desert and to leave there for what we call “civilization” would have truly meant to be lonely.
I quoted from your Substack in a conversation the other day, reading the section about being a balm for the wounded. It hit me hard in a good way. It was words for something I know, something I falteringly and fumbling, try to live out, but never had the words for. Somewhere in those words is a whole lot of gratitude. Like a kernel in a nut, as Macdonald puts it, hidden, powerful, and full of potential. Our lives are gifts, and gifts are meant to give away.
Thank you, Shari. Salut the solitude of the non-human Company.
But there is that other alone-ness too, sometimes, yes?
I don't find it that easy to really muster ritual with full color and symphony in this place between.
There is a table to set I think, a communion deeply earth-knit and antlered but also clear in a type of Thomas-like loyalty to the Messiah and Shekinah. I don't have much yet in my satchel. maybe a fork-tine to add to whatever each of us in the same clearing outside the camp of Temple and Empire might add. Or something. I dunno. But I do love the wishing upon this well.
I agree with Steve--Wow t'aint good enough. Pretty darn fabulous if you can say that about the useless murder of a woman like Ellisom, whose last name I can't even spell coreectly but her words are in my mind always. Glad you discovered her--I even made a 'holy card' to honor her..............okay, now to read the rest of it in more detail, although really liked your poetic response to the two afore it.
All of this, YES. And your responding poem at the end: Stunningly gorgeous, Andrew—and paired with that amazing image of vermillion human and shadow-boxed tree, alive with the waters . . .
All of these words in the whole piece, braided together are words to return to again and I will do so. Their richness and urgency requires time and attention, and text like this reveals something new when read again. Thank you, thank you for setting this table for us.
Oh! I know where we "met". I heard your voice on bees and Susan Simard in my favorite of those 4 Illich Conversations. I had to hear that one in the car as I was away from home so I did not have a face to word recognition til now.
Yes! I’m present at most of David’s online events and have seen and heard you there. I hated to miss the Paul discussion yesterday, but will get caught up. Good to connect with you Andrew—and to read your beautiful offerings here.
Hey Michelle! I think we were in Dougald's re-culture explore together. Or something recently. The cross connections of these spaces blurr in a good way. Anyway, thanks so very much for the generous words and welcome to this letter.
Instead of just a "comment" button, there also needs to be an "observe awestruck silence" button.
"our only hope is to hear back" bashed the gong of my heart hard -- real hard.
and i know you're right. i'm standing on the edge of the same dark water, and i know you're right.
Good Company to be in. Thanks, Graham.
Yes!...an "observe awestruck silence" button. Reflecting on that, Andrew....what a profound way to live!
Graham's first line just about sums it up. Here's the one that stilled me:
River, in this slipshod night,
come down from the hills,
meet us as those once darked
now lit by dark accounting
at the great dam of our separation.
Hey Adam. There is mad beaver activity hear on the land right now. Dam made is symbiosis rather than brutality. Teachers to relearn the right relation to river. So much is scale and footprint.
Hey Andrew, I could write "wow!" as always to convey the wonder, sense of what?, and gratitude after i read your gift words, however i am not satisfied with that neatly packaged, convenient response. Too easy. Akin to asking one of the numerous faces of AI that have popped up here there and seemingly everywhere: "write a one-word response to Andrew of Bog-down and Aster that conveys a sense of wonder and new discovery, a sense of the richness of historical words, even Scripture, becoming midrash if we are willing to participate in the weaving, and a profound exploration of ein sof "dimensions" that would make a physicist blush."
Thanks as always brother. I'll need more time with your midrash this time! I need to journey into that clearing.....not just with my "head" but with "all of me"....my personal tikkun olam beginning with my own inner world!
Same here regarding time to get past the head to the middle of it. Thanks as always, Steve.
Hey Andrew! You are the apple of my Substack:) It always takes me a few days to chew, mull, regurgitate and ruminate on your musings. I’m so grateful for the elegant dance you are in with this world. I find it interesting that those, I count myself in this category, who feel the most alienated, the most alone (Alone) are also those who perceive the deepest degrees of connection in this world. To steal a phrase, “Rilke comes to mind…” This is the Aloneness that does not feel Alone or leave one in a state of loneliness and despair. This is the Aloneness that Christ sought on the mountain, in the desert and ultimately on the cross. It is the Aloneness that kept the Desert Fathers in the desert and to leave there for what we call “civilization” would have truly meant to be lonely.
I quoted from your Substack in a conversation the other day, reading the section about being a balm for the wounded. It hit me hard in a good way. It was words for something I know, something I falteringly and fumbling, try to live out, but never had the words for. Somewhere in those words is a whole lot of gratitude. Like a kernel in a nut, as Macdonald puts it, hidden, powerful, and full of potential. Our lives are gifts, and gifts are meant to give away.
Thank you.
Thank you, Shari. Salut the solitude of the non-human Company.
But there is that other alone-ness too, sometimes, yes?
I don't find it that easy to really muster ritual with full color and symphony in this place between.
There is a table to set I think, a communion deeply earth-knit and antlered but also clear in a type of Thomas-like loyalty to the Messiah and Shekinah. I don't have much yet in my satchel. maybe a fork-tine to add to whatever each of us in the same clearing outside the camp of Temple and Empire might add. Or something. I dunno. But I do love the wishing upon this well.
I agree with Steve--Wow t'aint good enough. Pretty darn fabulous if you can say that about the useless murder of a woman like Ellisom, whose last name I can't even spell coreectly but her words are in my mind always. Glad you discovered her--I even made a 'holy card' to honor her..............okay, now to read the rest of it in more detail, although really liked your poetic response to the two afore it.
Yeah. She is a lamp to the feet on this path home even though it is hard to touch the terror of her time.
All of this, YES. And your responding poem at the end: Stunningly gorgeous, Andrew—and paired with that amazing image of vermillion human and shadow-boxed tree, alive with the waters . . .
All of these words in the whole piece, braided together are words to return to again and I will do so. Their richness and urgency requires time and attention, and text like this reveals something new when read again. Thank you, thank you for setting this table for us.
Oh! I know where we "met". I heard your voice on bees and Susan Simard in my favorite of those 4 Illich Conversations. I had to hear that one in the car as I was away from home so I did not have a face to word recognition til now.
Yes! I’m present at most of David’s online events and have seen and heard you there. I hated to miss the Paul discussion yesterday, but will get caught up. Good to connect with you Andrew—and to read your beautiful offerings here.
Hey Michelle! I think we were in Dougald's re-culture explore together. Or something recently. The cross connections of these spaces blurr in a good way. Anyway, thanks so very much for the generous words and welcome to this letter.