On a lighter note, here’s a little something from the drafts folder because I just don’t feel like writing today.

Untitled Song
(after Fountains of Wayne)

Jennifer’s mom is 55
She just turned 29
For the 24th time
Robert’s dad retired much to soon
Spends his time with HO scale trains
In the living room

CHORUS
They were just two kinda lonely people
Hoping to find someone to share some TV
Maybe go bowling on a Saturday night
Nothing too intense, cause who has that kind of time?

Jennifer and Robert got along pretty well
But if there was a spark there
You know that they couldn’t tell
But now their folks are gone on a ski trip to Vail
Robert feeds the cats and
Jennifer checks the mail

CHORUS

Five years later and the kids settled down
1.5 children and a dog
They rescued from the pound
Modest expectations and small rewards
On two accountants’ salaries
That’s all that they can afford
And in between the push and shove
They fret about their parents’ folly
Now Mom and Dad send all their love
On mildly naughty picture postcards from Bali

There are significant differences in the meanings, intentions and underlying theologies behind these remarkably similar institutions, of course; however, they also have a lot in common – particularly the fact that in both nations these sacred groves are under threat, both from climate change and the pressures of expanding infrastructure. As someone who holds trees to be holy and understands that (thinking globally) we need all the forested land we can get, and who also believes that there is inherent value in helping people hold on to what they can of their traditional culture in the face of immense contrary pressures, I would like to invite urge you to look deeper into the plight of these sacred forests and, if so moved, to join the fight to save them.

You can hear electronic excerpts(?) of the work at the second link… given the paucity of good, serious pagan music, I definitely think this deserves our attention!

Happy whatever-you-celebrate, and see you on the other side of the weekend… I’ll leave you with a true modern holiday classic, Diane Roberts’ Saturnalia rant!

Take the trouble to notice something around you, engage with it and write about it (poetry or prose, however it comes to you) – this speaks so clearly to the impulse that lay behind the creation of this blog that I can’t resist it… so I plan to take up this challenge and post the results here daily (or as close as I can manage) through January. Honestly, I’ll probably start trying out the exercise today, but I’m committing to sharing the results come the first of the year.

I opened it, somewhat trepidatiously, and was rather surprised to find that it actually did not entirely suck! Sure, there are some problems with it – the strangest being that are only 7 pip cards in each suit, 1-7… but there is *also* an Ace in each suit, in addition to the usual court cards. (see below)

Additionally, some of the art – especially the Death and Devil cards – looks like tattoo parlor flash… but overall the art has a vibrant, *alive* quality that is significantly absent from an awful lot of decks in the $20-and-up price range, and the best cards (in particular Strength and The Fool) are actually pretty darn good for what they are.

I’d never try reading with this deck, but it’s going into the collection, even if primarily as a curiosity. If you want to see it for yourself, the Wheel of Fortune card (pictured below) is on the cover of the box… you never know, your local dollar store might have it!

[Click image to enlarge]

my new dollar-store Tarot