Gorgeous stuff as always, Devin. You have such a way of finding wonder in the ordinary—I’ve never had cause to think for even a moment about “and” as anything more than its immediate and commonplace function. Now I have something else to think about.
Thank you for this reflection on connection and relation and mothering. It was the perfect meditation for me today. Yesterday, I attended the memorial service for the matriarch of a family I have been a member of, "but" not a member of, for over 50 years. I have been wrestling with that "but" and reflecting on the fact that I can finally be done with that. Done being the stepkid who is sometimes claimed but sometimes not, sometimes included but sometimes not. This reflection boiled it down to the simple conjunctions - and and but - and I loved it
I also smiled as I revisited a phone conversation with my son yesterday, who lives 2,500 miles away now. Like your mom, our conversation was a jumble of "and" from me, the details of my daily life, which I just call my things, tumbling out in a stream connected by ands interspersed with buts. We are getting the upstairs painted and we removed the doors and it’s really bright up there and Beau is sitting on top of the post staring at the attic and wondering where the door is and I put all of your engineering things in the bike parts tub from your closet and took it down the basement but I need to get a lid for it so the cats quit playing with the alligator clips and dad is volunteering at a science fair and he chose directing bus traffic over leading school kids around because we know he doesn’t have the patience for that, ha ha….
Thank you. I love Howe’s poem(s). And I love, love your anthropomorphication of clauses - or maybe better said your “grammarfication” of people - and how independent clauses can connect via “and.” And how people connect via “and.” How we can be together, in the same sentence. And also, I love that all day in my head has been School House Rock’s, “Conjunction, Junction… What’s your function?”
I absolutely love this poem, as the mother of a daughter, as the daughter of a mother. Thank you for this reminder, of how we are all connected and connecting.
Beautiful, Devin! Mary Howe mesmerizes over and over, this first poem new to me: And so the way you find her poems, here, Mother's Day, this juxtaposition and your gorgeous meditation on the word and, the small words of connection...our own open-ended entangled ands as humans. Ever this. Thank you.
I was blessed and honored to take a Master class from Marie Howe at the Kaua'i Writers Conference last November. Her poetry is a clear reflection of her wisdom-filled, kind, earthy, yet elegant personality. The award of the Pulitzer could not have been bestowed on more deserving person.
What a beautiful, heart-filling meditation on this Mother's Day.
For those who want more of Marie Howe, I recommend her conversation with Krista Tippett, which I listen to almost annually because it so enlivening (like your weekly essays, Devin) -- https://onbeing.org/programs/marie-howe-the-power-of-words-to-save-us-may2017/.
bookmarking to listen to later! Thanks always, Jeff!
Gorgeous stuff as always, Devin. You have such a way of finding wonder in the ordinary—I’ve never had cause to think for even a moment about “and” as anything more than its immediate and commonplace function. Now I have something else to think about.
thanks, Chuck! I recommend Schulz's book...there's a whole meditation on the word "and" that rocked my world. Appreciate you!
Marie Howe is the best! Especially love her book "What the Living Do"
a classic, truly!
Thank you for this reflection on connection and relation and mothering. It was the perfect meditation for me today. Yesterday, I attended the memorial service for the matriarch of a family I have been a member of, "but" not a member of, for over 50 years. I have been wrestling with that "but" and reflecting on the fact that I can finally be done with that. Done being the stepkid who is sometimes claimed but sometimes not, sometimes included but sometimes not. This reflection boiled it down to the simple conjunctions - and and but - and I loved it
I also smiled as I revisited a phone conversation with my son yesterday, who lives 2,500 miles away now. Like your mom, our conversation was a jumble of "and" from me, the details of my daily life, which I just call my things, tumbling out in a stream connected by ands interspersed with buts. We are getting the upstairs painted and we removed the doors and it’s really bright up there and Beau is sitting on top of the post staring at the attic and wondering where the door is and I put all of your engineering things in the bike parts tub from your closet and took it down the basement but I need to get a lid for it so the cats quit playing with the alligator clips and dad is volunteering at a science fair and he chose directing bus traffic over leading school kids around because we know he doesn’t have the patience for that, ha ha….
Thank you for this reflection, Cassandra. Life is a jumble of “and’s”! Sending all the light & love your way.
Beyond beautiful and deeply touching and I feel it as my Mothers’ Day gift. Thank you.
Thanks so much, Joan — happy Mother’s Day
Thank you. I love Howe’s poem(s). And I love, love your anthropomorphication of clauses - or maybe better said your “grammarfication” of people - and how independent clauses can connect via “and.” And how people connect via “and.” How we can be together, in the same sentence. And also, I love that all day in my head has been School House Rock’s, “Conjunction, Junction… What’s your function?”
This was lovely. Thank you.
I absolutely love this poem, as the mother of a daughter, as the daughter of a mother. Thank you for this reminder, of how we are all connected and connecting.
Beautiful, Devin! Mary Howe mesmerizes over and over, this first poem new to me: And so the way you find her poems, here, Mother's Day, this juxtaposition and your gorgeous meditation on the word and, the small words of connection...our own open-ended entangled ands as humans. Ever this. Thank you.
I was blessed and honored to take a Master class from Marie Howe at the Kaua'i Writers Conference last November. Her poetry is a clear reflection of her wisdom-filled, kind, earthy, yet elegant personality. The award of the Pulitzer could not have been bestowed on more deserving person.