Notes From Swannanoa – Part III

Once the immediate danger had passed, though, it was not long before the facades began to crack and slide away like pieces of mud-caked siding. The groups of helpers that traveled in from other areas started to include hate groups, religious zealots, bigots, and con artists. Some local helpers began to show their true colors, too.

Notes from Swannanoa, part II

This is a month into the aftermath, and I still do not have a full picture of what is happening in all the areas devastated by Helene. I do not think it is possible to live on the ground, function day to day, and zoom out far enough to see the entirety of the scene. For me, there is no visual concept of whole, although my heart and spirit feel it.

Opinion: Liberty Enlightening the World

I am often amazed by the way this country’s people have weathered the years since the 2016 election launched us further into the shadowlands of hatred, racism, misogyny, bigotry, and terror. I am equally amazed by how those years have weathered but not beaten us.

The Song of the Cicadas

Sunshine invited me to have lunch with her at the soup kitchen, which had become a central part of her daily life. Some people there had become like family to her, although she had to hide her spiritual identity while she was among them. Like many Witches and Pagans, she is adept at giving neutral responses to the abundance of Christian greetings and commentary that are frequently offered in American communities.