Welcome back to the odd poetery of the Peeps related to holidaze! Let’s investigate what today is, because we need all the holidaze we can celebrate, right?
PLEASE NOTE: Thanks to the limited number of poems on topic, the orange sky outside my door, and my computer glitching so that I can’t download any new photos, this evening’s diary isn’t so whimsical/funny. But hopefully you’ll find it hopeful anyway. Things have to get better at this point!
Lately, every day seems to be many holidays! Which is good, because we all have our favorites. So I will pick out one, and you can click the link above if you’re curious about the rest. This is an Open Thread, so please feel free to add your favorite pomes and photoes and holidaze for today in the Comments!
It was… [49] years ago that a ragtag group of hippies first set sail from Burrard Inlet in an attempt to stop the U.S. government from blowing up nuclear bombs off the coast of Alaska. Worried the testing could trigger devastating tsunamis, the young environmentalists initially called themselves the Don't Make a Wave Foundation, but soon ended up themselves making waves of their own under their new nom de guerre, Greenpeace.
The Greenpeace Foundations has since become the worlds largest, independent environmental organization and famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view or stock holdings) for taking a hands-on approach to a variety of important issues ranging from global warming to rainforest deforestation, overfishing and commercial whaling.
Next year is their 50th anniversary! And they are needed to make “good trouble” more than ever.
by Ada Limón
(emphasis mine — ec)
(note also that the above was published on the Greenpeace website, so the above link takes you there, if you’d like to donate)
On the top of Mount Pisgah, on the western
slope of the Mayacamas, there’s a madrone
tree that’s half-burned from the fires, half-alive
from nature’s need to propagate. One side
of her is black ash and at her root is what
looks like a cavity that was hollowed out
by flame. On the other side, silvery green
broadleaf shoots ascend toward the winter
light and her bark is a cross between a bay
horse and a chestnut horse, red and velvety
like the animal’s neck she resembles. I have
been staring at the tree for a long time now.
I am reminded of the righteousness I had
before the scorch of time. I miss who I was.
I miss who we all were, before we were this: half
alive to the brightening sky, half dead already.
I place my hand on the unscarred bark that is cool
and unsullied, and because I cannot apologize
to the tree, to my own self I say, I am sorry.
I am sorry I have been so reckless with your life.
[Ada Limón is the author of five books of poetry, including The Carrying (note the link goes to a non-Amazon purchase option!), which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry and was named one of the top 5 poetry books of the year by the Washington Post.]
Please to remember that Pootie Diaries post twice a day!
The regular Pootie Diaries post daily at 1:45 pm Eastern (on Sundays at 3 pm Eastern)
and the evening Open Thread Pootie Diaries post at about 10 pm Eastern
Please to show ‘em both some lubs!
In Loving Memory of Swampyankee:
In Loving Memory of Jan4Insight:
And almost finally, please note da roolz:
PWBPeeps is a group that posts a daily diary and nightly open thread for animal lovers. We share photos, seek & give advice about pet health and behavior issues, support each other in times of sadness and stress, celebrate together when times are good, and on most days have an inordinate amount of fun.
You are welcome to join us!
Here are a few not-too-onerous PWB rulez
Violate ‘em and we’ll say that you’re crulez
- Do not “Troll” the Pootie Peeps Diaries. If you don’t like animal diaries, there’s no need to tell us about it. Just go find some other diary more to your liking.
- Whatever happens in the outer blog STAYS in the outer blog. As in, no pie fights. This is a place to relax and play; please treat it accordingly.
- If you would like a pic from the comment threads, please ask the poster. He/she may have a copyright to those pics. Many thanks!
- There are some pics we never post: Snakes, creepy crawlies, any and all photos that depict or encourage human cruelty toward animals. These are considered “out of bounds” and will not be tolerated.
- If you’re not sure about an issue...please ask. Someone is always glad to help.
For those who missed our Earth Day special, Climate Change helpful hints from the aminals are here!
If you are looking for our illustrated poetery, we will keep here da list!:
Srs Ogden Nash (and Other) Poetry for December 31, New Year’s Eve, Illustrated! (At the end of which is the list of all our illustrated Ogden Nashes.)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for January 7, Illustrated! (Marge Piercy, Twisted Sister)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for January 14, Illustrated! (Ogden Nash, Francesco Marciuliano)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for January 21, Illustrated! (Shel Silverstein, Muhammed Iqbal, Elena Carlena)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for January 28, Illustrated! (Rita Dove, Anonymous, KoalasofNYC)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for February 11, Illustrated! (Neil Hilborn, Jeannine Atkins)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for March 3, Illustrated! (Poemasabi)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for March 31, Illustrated! (Rebekah Bastian, traditional song)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for April 7, Illustrated! (G.K. Chesteron, Faith Shearin)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for April 14, Illustrated! (David Bowie, Robert Lowell)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for April 21, Illustrated! (I Am Your Dog by Author Unknown)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for April 28, Illustrated! (Francesco Marciuliano again!)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for May 5, Illustrated! (Elena Carlena cartoons, Venessa Medina-Rosas)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for May 12, Illustrated! (nelpogrando)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for May 19, Illustrated! (Edward Monkton, Giles Andreae)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for May 26, Illustrated! (Lesbia Harford)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for June 2, Illustrated! (Sienna Luna)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for June 9, Illustrated! (Christopher “Kit” Smart)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for June 16, Illustrated! (Russell Edson)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for June 30, Illustrated! (Rosa Silva’s cat)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for July 7, Illustrated! (Mark J. Halliday)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for July 14, Illustrated! (Vivian Shipley)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for July 21, Illustrated! (Sawyer Sewell, David F)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for July 28, Illustrated! (Carma Reed)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for August 11, Illustrated! (Bob Raczka)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for August 18, Illustrated! (The Sumerians, William Topaz McGonagall)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for August 25, Illustrated! (Kathleen Graber)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for September 1, Illustrated! (Daver Austin)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for September 8, Illustrated! (Terri Cannan)
This is an open thread! Please chat away in the Comments. Enjoy!
PLEASE NOTE: Your humble diarist is NR, so consider yourselves +1 as long as you behave! ;-)
ADDITIONAL NOTE: Incredible numbers of dead migratory birds, including songbirds, are being found in the mid-west US! Scientists think likely due to lung damage from the Western wildfires/smoke. Even here (upstate NY), the sky was hazy orange today, they said from the CA fires! Please help the little feathered folks out by putting out extra birdseed and/or fresh water for them, wherever in the US you live. I did that today.