Road Trip
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Wed, 06/03/2015 - 21:47This weekend is my thirty-fifth college reunion and at the crack of dawn tomorrow, I’ve downloaded various poems and stories to the tablet. We are mostly packed, and I’m putting down a few quick thoughts before we hit the road.
I like road trips. I like stories and movies about road trips. I like road trips as a metaphor for life. How will different journeys overlap on this road trip out to my thirty fifth reunion? We shall see.
After The Annunciation
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Tue, 06/02/2015 - 20:04What was it like
for Mary
in those days after The Annunciation,
before she felt the baby kick?
Did she have doubts?
Did she have fears?
What was the discussion like,
with Joseph?
“Honey, I think I’m pregnant.”
Did she have cravings?
Did she have misgivings?
Morning sickness?
Or worry about a miscarriage?
What was the time like
with Elizabeth?
Did they laugh
and compare notes
about their pregnancies?’
Did they share any fears?
What about you,
in your times of great change,
when God is at work?
“It’s not the same”,
we might think.
“We’re not like Mary.”
But maybe Mary wasn’t either,
before The Annunciation.
We might even convince ourselves
that God doesn’t work like that
anymore.
So, do we recognize the Lord’s hand
or voice?
Do we have doubts, fears or misgivings?
Can we hear
the messenger of the Lord
saying
“Shh… Be still… Be quiet”?
June
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Mon, 06/01/2015 - 19:32Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit. A new month starts, a month of graduations, reunions, and strawberry festivals. “Moons and Junes and Ferris Wheels”. The start of any new month is full of hopes and dreams, and somehow, that seems more so for June than for other months.
I’ll be heading out to my thirty-fifth college reunion this year. Reunions are complicated for most people, and perhaps more so for me. I’m wondering if I’ll find time to make some strawberry jelly. It is a good thing to do in June and our supply of homemade jams and jellies is going fast.
My word for right now is liminal. It captures the feeling of June, after graduation, but before crossing the next threshold, heading off to college, starting a new job, or whatever the next threshold is.
Where is my writing taking me?
Week in Review
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sun, 05/31/2015 - 21:02This morning, I learned of the death of Beau Biden. On Facebook, I posted:
My thoughts and prayers go out to the Biden family as they more the death of their son to brain cancer. My thoughts and prayers also go out to other families who have lost sons to brain cancer. Beau's death is bound to bring back sad memories for many of them. Finally, I want to thank everyone who is participating in the Relay for Life this weekend. Please help the American Cancer Society as well as a mother mourning the death of her son to brain cancer, by contributing at this link.
A friend of mine, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and very wise woman wrote a letter to Megyn Kelly about an upcoming interview with the Duggars about sexual abuse.
I posted about this, and a link to the text of her letter in this Facebook post. Please read it invite others into a real discussion about sexual abuse.
Other random things: The Pease Place playground had its grand opening in Woodbridge on Saturday. I have a bunch of pictures I hope to share at some point.
I had an interesting dinner where we talked about Acousmatic sound, Political interpretations of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and György Ligeti
The Reading
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sat, 05/30/2015 - 21:14Today, the church I attend, Grace and St. Peter’s, in Hamden, CT, had its second annual International Food Night and Talent Show. This year, I read three of my poems, The Seals, Knitting, and ”Random Acts of Kindness”.
It was a friendly crowd. People who have known me for years, but who haven’t heard me read. Most, probably didn’t even know I wrote poetry. It was nerve wracking. The evening started off with people singing and telling funny stories. The flow of the evening settled down, so my reading which was near the end fit in better than I feared it might when we got going.
Despite having written for many years, and having had poems published in school literary magazines years ago, this was the first time I read in public.
It seemed to be well received, but now, I am exhausted.
