Linda, my inbox overwhelmed me and I didn't read this until today...PERFECT timing! I'd just been having a 'debate' with friends who feel a bit more 'militant,' as Ann puts it, than I feel comfortable with. It just doesn't feel quite the way to go. Your piece is a keeper for me to refer to, over and over again. Especially when I watch the news and fall into a "those a-holes" hole!

Love, love, love Mary Oliver. I will look up the "box of darkness" poem. If you'd like a podcast of Mary being interviewed toward the end of her life, let me know and I'll copy the link