And the crazy continues at Perry Community School in Iowa at 7:37 am. The shooter, 17 yr. old Dylan Butler has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A sixth grader was killed. Five other people were wounded by the shooter. Four victims were students, and the other victim was an administrator. Children should be safe in their schools not seeking places to hide so they don’t die. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first incidence of violence in schools. We’ve talked about changes, and some have been made but apparently not enough because children still have access to guns.

Which brings me to the topic I wanted to discuss. Lidia Yuknavitch challenges writers to be the fire in our society. We can’t continue with our American exceptionalism mentality. The more we tell stories, the more awareness we raise for the voices not heard like children that have died from senseless violence. In power displacements where children are ripped from their families and transported into situations where they are later objects for barter. Women and men are involved in sex trafficking of minors. There’s still uneasiness among the LGBTQ communities because people have homophobic fears. Women and children are still abused by their loved ones.

Poets and Writers January/February 2024 Pw.org pages 34-35 if you want to read more of the article.

Storytelling may not save lives but it will keep the fire burning for those faced with contradictions between the brutality of our society and the fissures of hope that occasionally surface. As a storyteller we bear witness to it all and hopefully find ways to ease suffering.

In Lake Luzerne, New York (one hour north of Albany) a library was adding a one-time event to their monthly line-up Drag Queen Story hour. Amanda Hoffman knew it was a controversial topic but had no idea what the repercussions would be. A bomb threat, board meeting that erupted into a fist fight, people calling each other fascists, predators and queers all took place which unfortunately forced the closing of the only library in town after 53 years of operation. This community became a battle ground for issues of inclusion, free speech and what exactly is the role of a tax-funded institution. The minister in this community took the situation further by pushing to keep perverted books away from children. Banning books have become a social norm.

Ursula K LeGuin says “You cannot buy the revolution. You cannot make the revolution. But you can be the revolution.” Yuknavitch and LeGuin aren’t suggesting we become perfect humans. We’re flawed because we will say the wrong thing or do the wrong time. It’s in our nature. But there’s nothing stopping us from trying again the next day to be a better human, a better co-existent because we’re not the only creatures on this planet. We’ve been the ethos of death and destruction too long.

In the conclusion of her article written in Poets and Writers she offers a writing exercise that I found thought provoking. “Draw courage From the Fire. Name one kind of fire within us, one that keeps us from despair and moves us toward courage in the world. Where did it come from, this internal fire? What experiences brought us to this fire? What shapes does the fire take? Where does this fire live in our body? What story is held there?” ~ Lidia Yuknavitch

My fire is domestic violence. Did I choose this fire? No, my first husband chose it for me with his physical and verbal assaults. What moved me forward was my children initially. Their safety was my primary concern until I could make the changes for us. There is truth in the saying always know where the devil is because the unknown will be your undoing.

I’ve written poetry for contests and published a book to raise awareness. But the fire didn’t just begin with my marital situation, unfortunately it was very much a part of childhood as well. I married not knowing this wasn’t a social norm. Sadly, there wasn’t the media coverage or the resources we have now. But unfortunately, even with the resources, the problem still exists for many women. Yes, it’s crazy that domestic violence exists in this country like it does in third world countries where women have less rights than here.

Harmonium by Lyn Crain

Tasting of bloodied blue interlude, she trembled
Caught in an eternal plot of frenzied cadence arouse.
Her treasured hot peace lyre symbol necklace
Baroque ripped, his alleged rights of the spouse.
His frozen touch, firm on her hymn alabaster neck
Gregorian chants the parody of marital vows.
Her classical breath screamed to simply die, ending it,
But his ballad rage wasn’t done, he only let her drowse.

I chose a musical twist for one of his assaults to encourage thought.

I wish I could say it’s a thing of my past but it’s not because it still impacts my thinking, my reactions to certain comments even a sudden movement. My brain and body are always aware of my surroundings. Sadly, that tool that helps me in other social situations. We live in a violent society, awareness is crucial. We’re never too old to change our thinking.

Like this morning, there were many police sirens near us. The pitches were different, so I knew it was more than one police car. I immediately locked the front door my daughter had recently exited, checked the other doors and then called her to make sure she was safe on the road going to work. I wouldn’t have called her a month ago but after a friend killed in a carjacking incident just over a mile away, I feel less secure than I did. I had become lax in my awareness of my surroundings. I won’t be less guarded again because the crime rate in this country is escalating as poverty and ignorance rises.

On a closing note, for today’s reminder of the craziness we live in. Where ever or whenever culture wars exist, there’s voices that want to fight it out to the death or destroy anything that might possibly offend someone. Unfortunately, once the fighting begins, we all lose.