[“We regret to inform…”]

They tell me she went striding

In the uplands of Tharsis

Alone, in her borrowed gadgetry.

There was a storm.

(I did not know Mars had storms.)

And somewhere in the red, red dust —

Like a cocoon, outgrown.

She disappeared.

Later, they found her suit.

Like an empty tomb.

I escape the soundbites, read no headlines,

Stop answering my phone.

In the anchorhold of my solitude

I study her postcards —

Search for clues, secrets, whisperings

Footprints in the red, red dust.

I finish the jam, wash out the jar.

Three pennies, a dime and a quarter so far.

—- C.S.E. Cooney, from poem Postcards From Mars

• Zen Comes Down To Three Things
  Zen pretty much comes down to three things: Everything changes, Everything is connected, Pay attention. —Jane Hirschfield
• Zeal Is A Volcano
  Zeal is a volcano, the peak of which the grass of indecisiveness does not grow. — Kahil Gibran
• Yule Is When The Dark Half Of The Year Cedes To The Light Half
  Yule is when the dark half of the year cedes to the light half. Known as Solstice Night, Awaiting the rebirth of the Sun God. Bonfires, wassailing … Read more
• Your Words Surround You Like Fog
  Your words surround you like fog and make you hard to see. ― Edward ‘Blackbeard’ Teach, Pirate
• Your Time Is Limited
  Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s … Read more