‘Miscellany’ Archives
POEM FOR HOPE
By THOMAS SMITH I wake, mind and spirit clouded by the news. Which news? Oh, you know ”” a finger here, a toe there, the orange mutilations. The gray sky says that things have been both better and worse. How did the woman interviewed on NPR put it ”” Americans have developed a preference for certainty over hope. That”'s the current we swim against. Damp as it is, the air is surprisingly clear. Suddenly I”'m not walking alone. A small hawk, a Cooper”'s, alights on a low branch, not flying off as I come nearer, letting me have a good look. I”'ve never seen a Cooper”'s hawk in this place, much less at close range. I pull my breath inward, beholding in sharp detail the small shapely head with its hooked beak and burning eye, its wings and tail that so elegantly charge with life the space around them. Friends, the greatest realists are those who, uncertain about their certainty, keep a door open to hope. This is still a [...]
Transit – The need for speed
By JOHN CHARLES WILSON There are two pieces of good transit news in the Twin Cities this month: one directly impacts the Phillips Community, and the other mostly benefits those who commute to the southern suburbs. In the July issue of The Alley, I mentioned that Route 2 (Franklin Avenue) was going to be made faster due to a decrease in the number of stops. That plan went into effect on the 13th of October. I am sure that some people won”'t like this because they may have to do some extra walking, but for those who are able and willing to do it, the time savings will probably be worth it. (more…)
