beyond the chain-link fence
alternated ornamental evergreens
and fire bushes blaze
a barrier to foreign ground
surround a smooth, black lot
of high-financed cars
in pristine, seasonal shades
made with pride
in germany,
japan,
switzerland
while on this side,
a ‘58 chevy flatbed stands
rusted and forgotten
by all except lilac bushes, bluegrass,
and blackberry strands
snaked through the grill
in a testament to growth.
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Author: Jonah Sheridan Fenn
Nerd herder, word wrangler, working on the next chapter...
On the Practice of Making Mistakes
I’m a fan of making mistakes, in many scenarios. I encourage my students to be bold and adventurous in their learning. This means mistakes will be made. Where possible we need to create comfortable zones where a fearlessness in learning can be achieved by allowing mistakes and encouraging people to re-envision, rebuild, and refine. We… Continue reading On the Practice of Making Mistakes
bereft
sunny days are rare
this time of year
i take them when i can
remember this spring past
as we walked through
this old neighborhood?
fat cherry blossoms dripped from
strained boughs, petals splashed
down to sift
into heavy, pink drifts
on the charming,
cracked
sidewalk
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It is My Privilege…
There’s often a lot of confusion surrounding the term “white privilege”. Much of this confusion comes from hard working white folks who feel slighted at the suggestion that anything other than hard work was a reason for their success in life. So I’m going to take a second and give an example, using my own… Continue reading It is My Privilege…
White is not a Culture
I have seen, countless times, people ask why is it okay to say “black power” but not “white power”. Let’s break this down. Over 400 years ago, the North Atlantic slave trade brought lots of people over here to the new world (remember this is pre United States). Over the course of a couple of… Continue reading White is not a Culture
Idealism at End
I remember grade school, in a little country school here in this humble, blue-collar river town. Knox Butte Elementary school had less than eighty students. It was so small that some of our grades were combined – second and third grade shared a classroom as did fifth and sixth grade. Aside from the typical dramas… Continue reading Idealism at End
Black Lives Matter
Note: This list will continue to be updated as time and information allows. 2020 May George Floyd 46, May 25th [One officer charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter, three others will face charges of aiding and abetting murder – it took several days of WORLDWIDE protest to get charges filed] Killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during… Continue reading Black Lives Matter
Just Get Over It
Just get over it. Such an easy phrase for some folks to utter. Give me a second, tho, and let me spell out for you why this is something that, in the case of race relations, is easier said than done for some folks up in these United States. It all started around 500 years… Continue reading Just Get Over It
The Fallacy of “Colorblindness”
One of my pet peeves is the very white-culture concept of “colorblindness”. What irritates me even more is when white folks get bent out of shape when the topic, and it’s harmfulness, are brought up. So, today we’re going to talk about “colorblindness”, what this means, and how its perceived by the people we’re supposed… Continue reading The Fallacy of “Colorblindness”
The Fragile White Liberal
Interesting story here…at least to me. Hopefully it is for you, as well. I should probably start by saying that there are few musical artists that have had a bigger impact on me than ani difranco. From the start, I was captivated by her kind of strange and funky, modern folksy, punk rock original sound.… Continue reading The Fragile White Liberal