99 Comments

Wow. What a powerful series of poems. That first one took me all the way down.

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"I don't care if the medicine is ancient or new" So very true. I have no room in my life for one modality! Thank you again for your beautiful words.

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Goes for most thing in life. Especially dogs. 😊

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Accidents and Sacraments - the poem and your reading blew the roof off my house this morning - it lifted me up and straight out of my house. Phenomenal.

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Sherman, you sling syllables straight into hearts.

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I had two teachers in grade school that to this day I remember distinctly. Both fostered the joy of learning. Thanks for the reminder.

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For me, these were engaging poems. Which is a good thing. In my old age I've found many poems just don't do anything for me. "Another woman poem about the beach and how she needs to love herself. Sigh." So, yes I am grateful for poems that move me. I love when a poem is good without even trying. Where a poem beckons you, so you hop on. And by the end you look up and realize it has taken you to somewhere you've never been. What a gift! What I most noticed about this group of poems is that each one is a song. Which made me wonder just how often through out a given day you are composing songs in your head as you go about your day. I'll venture that it is quite a few! And then I wondered how many are tribal sorts of songs and how many are KISS kind a songs? A poem song is like a feather in the wind. It can carry your prayer to heaven because it came from heaven. It knows the way. I loved that all of these poems turned into songs.

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Dang Jr. those first two hit me right in the feelers. What are you doing to me? I really felt those first two to the heart. I guess I just cannot explain.

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Thanks, Dale. I think us going way back as friends and tribal members adds to the emotions.

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Tremendous 💜

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Thank you, Amy.

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I love the way your poems are like the chisel slowly chipping away the marble to reveal the man.

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I chip a little too far sometimes! Thank you, Leyna.

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Sherman, Accidents & Sacraments makes me too sad. In my case I choose not return to all those letdowns, disappointments, and soul-injuring events of the past. I try to stay in the present moment and milk it for all its worth. I did love "Teacher, Teacher", because I'm a teacher- an educator, advocate and example. Back to the Past: i was able to clear out a lot of those Shit memories with EMDR. I recommend it to everyone who has had significant traumatizing experiences. Peace.

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EMDR doesn't work for everybody. It's not good for my bipolar brain. I understand how a piece of writing can make somebody too sad. But I live in that space so I write about it.

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I can already feel that I'll be coming back a few times today to re-read. Thank you.

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Thank you, Caroline.

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Once again you've hit so many important chords. Thanks Sherman, for making us better humans.

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Thanks, Rick!

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Very good. Sherman, can you install one of those buttons where we can give $$ on "buy you coffee" kind of thing?

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Wait, I just looked it up! It's like busking!

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Yeah, they got a thing called "buy me a coffee" and it's a separate company from Substack.

https://buymeacoffee.com/

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I don't know what that is!

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Take a look at the link @weston Parker posted. There's a site ' buy me a coffee', easy to join. People can send you small tips and yes, they add up! I'd love to ' buy a coffee' for you and I think there's plenty others here too who would.

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Yes! We need to be able to pass the hat round, like we do at spoken word events. There's got to be support beyond the paid sub model.

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A dollar here, a dollar there, all adds up!

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I love the idea of shaking your medicine bottles like rattles and chanting. That image is going to stick with me.

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Thank you, Michelle.

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"I didn't marry ...."

cool refrain!

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Thanks, Blake. Do you date your parents!?!

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