46º ~ chilly start to the day, warming up, finally some sun and 24 hours with no predicted severe weather, thank you, universe!
I know this may sound hokey, but when I woke this morning to the news of over 180 people dead from our outbreak of severe weather here in the south and southeast, I couldn’t help but think of Obi-Wan Kenobe: “I felt a great disturbance in the Force.” I am devastated and sad and mourning. Especially for the dead and their loved ones, but also for the huge swatch of destruction. Many people have lost their homes and all of their possessions. Once again, I feel a bit helpless and hopeless in the face of a natural disaster.
The only good I can do from here is to give money to reputable organizations. So: I’m offering this deal through May 7. Buy a copy of Blood Almanac directly from me and 100% of your money will go to the American Red Cross. While I don’t have a PayPal account in place, I’ll be glad to accept a check in the mail. To purchase, email me at: sandy dot 40 dot longhorn at gmail dot com.
And to sweeten the pot, I’ll match every purchase with the same amount in a personal contribution. The cost is $14 (I’ll cover postage). If you already own a copy, consider buying one for a friend.
That means, for every purchase, $28 will go to the Red Cross.
As many of you know, tornadoes make frequent appearances in my poems. Here are two: the first older and in Blood Amanac, the second newer and just published in Escape Into Life.
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On the Great Plains’ Eastern Edge
louder than his father’s voice,
the boy emerged unscarred—
in the hands of a vengeful God.
and buried in a field of debris,
a two year absence before the wind,
and stacked them in a leather satchel,
carrying her heavy scrawl
threatening God, and a voice
packed with his father’s rage,
the funnels far from any home.
Be safe, my friends.
What a good thing to do, Sandy. My friend Kim's daughter just raised $200 for Japan. Kim has a tornado poem in her blog today, Hummus Anonymous. (Baseball woman, too.)
Thanks, Kathleen. I'll check out Kim's blog.
Already have one purchase, so that's $28 to start!
Sandy, what a nice thing to do. The devastation down south is hard to take in. Reminds me that none of my "problems" are actually problems.
Thanks, Molly!