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The Futility in Fragility, and Doing It Anyway

If blood will flow when flesh and steel are oneDrying in the colour of the evening sunTomorrow’s rain will wash the stains awayBut something in our minds will always stay— Sting, Fragile Pushing snow off a driveway in an active snowstorm is an act in futility, displayed for all to see in the snowflakes quickly…

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On Valentine’s Day, Accept Þetta Reddast

In Iceland there’s a saying that speaks of resilience and hopefulness. In only a few days there I heard it several times, evidence of the shared belief of her people, . Þetta Reddast means it (Þetta) will all work out (Reddast). In case you’re wondering, as I did, Þetta Reddast is pronounced “thet tah red…

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Kindred Contributors of Light

Kindred comes from a combination of kin and the Old English word ræden (“condition”), which itself comes from the verb rædan, meaning “to advise.” — Merriam-Webster Dictionary Talking to a friend about poetry, I mentioned a poem by Li-Young Lee, and paused our phone conversation while she read it, waiting for the payoff when one…

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See the Signs and Know Their Meaning

“Two students had studied for many years with a wise old master. One day the master said to them, “Students, the time has come for you to go out into the world. Your life there will be felicitous if you find in it all things shining.” The students left the master with a mixture of…