Obligatory dorky photo:

Sometimes Writer’s Almanac manages to pick just the right poem on just the right day. Today was one of those:

A Prayer among Friends – by John Daniel

Among other wonders of our lives, we are alive
with one another, we walk here
in the light of this unlikely world
that isn’t ours for long.
May we spend generously
the time we are given.

Like it? Share it:

• Bluesky
• Mastodon
• Threads
• Share on Tumblr
• Email

Tonight I was chatting with someone about weird things that happen at work and how easy it was to get into trouble by saying things no one wants to hear. LOL isn’t that the truth?

So I was about to start the car and there’s a rap at the window. This fellow says “You know I was told once that the best thing you can do when someone’s giving you a hard time is to smile. Because, it drives them crazy!”

Wasn’t that nice? He shared one of the great truths of the world. Don’t let the bastards get you down sure is rule one, but rule two has to be: don’t let them know they’re annoying you in the least — keep smiling..

The world’s always there to give you a hint when you need it and sometimes it makes sure you can’t miss the message!

As of this moment, I’ve looked at 399 haiku. Yeah I know, I know…

But get a load of this. Imagine you’re holding a deck of cards or something that needs sorting and you’re using some personal criteria to throw them into three or four piles in front of you.

I look in the first category: 77.

I look in the second category: 77.

I look in the third category: 77.

I figure something in the database isn’t working so I look at some categories based on topics rather than ranking and those show all kinds of quantities. In fact the fourth category says 144.

Seriously? 77. Unbelievable. I had been really afraid I’d not throw enough of them into “other than best” categories but it’s not as bad as I thought. I can at least go through the first and second categories and fine tune.

I’m blathering. Sorry.

Update: and indeed – total weirdness on the database side and nothing to do with the real numbers. LOL ain’t that the case?

Because Allen Ginsberg says,
“Slam! Into the Mouth of the Dharma!”
Because Gregory Corso says,
“Why do you want to hang out with us old guys?
If I was young, I’d be going to the Slam!”
Because Bob Kaufman says,
“Each Slam / a finality.”
—Bob Holman from “Why Slam Causes Pain and Is a Good Thing”