Waiting

I am already making lists of words
I never want to hear again. 
Hoax. Witch hunt. Tremendous. 
In fact, any superlative.
And let’s not forget tweet, "Truth" Social,
or fake news. Alternative facts.
and the roll call of names: Hegspeth, Kash,
Caroline, J.D., Kristi, Miller, RFK, Pam Bondi

and the list of guilty minions 

too numerous to count.

I am looking forward to the day

when I won’t need a scorecard to keep track 

of the members of the cabinet, and their lack of qualifications;

and the prosecutors who resign 

rather than answer to the revenge plans 

of an untethered lunatic.

I’m waiting to wake up in the morning 

without hearing that a new outrage 

is dominating the headlines, 

without a new constitutional crisis arising, 

without an unspecified idiocy on the horizon. 

I find that I am tired

of spineless politicians 

who hold their political careers to be 

more important than their constitutional obligations. 

I am tired of lies. I am weary 

of empty promises designed to provoke 

cheers at super-spreader rallies; I am weary 

of the stress and the fury and 

the knot in my stomach

when the president appears on the news. 

I can no longer bear the elevation of ignorance,

the disbelief in science; the promotion of hatred and violence,  

the attacks on innocent people who are,

for the most part, just trying 

to make it through as best they can.

What has happened to respect, to honor, to integrity? 

Is compassion out of style?   

Who are these pious zealots 

who have forgotten the Golden Rule?

or just abbreviated it to “Do unto others” 

and do it in the worst possible way.

I pray for your return, America.

I pray for the end of Trump, and all his yes-men,

and those who affirm his acts by their silence. 

I pray for a new beginning.  

Sunrises

 

 

There is something about a sunrise

that draws me to the river. I never tire 

of the re-creation of the world that happens every day.

Dark clouds may hover, but gray becomes gilded

when the rose-gold sun envelops earth and sky 

in morning light.

 

I take pictures,

the same scene, time and time and time again:

stark trees etched on a multi-colored sky,

stretching skyward near this golden river, 

a trove of photos documenting the new day:

each daily renewal a reassuring album of hope.

Morning, January 2021

 

It is a new day: a rainy one, and cold, 

but the sun that hides beneath its cloud-blanket 

(much as I do on days like this) 

will show itself eventually-- 

when our tilted axis 

twirls the earth to a warmer, brighter position, 

  

Yet, while the sun moves on without me,  

I too shall hide 

until my own excuses are exhausted, 

until the overwhelming tide recedes,

until I can negotiate the shifting sand 

beneath my feet. 

 

It has been too long a winter 

with my axis angled away  

from life and warmth and hope. 

The time has come to turn 

toward the light. 

It is a new day. 

Holiday letter 2020

 Happy Holidays from the McElveens! 

In the words of Judith Viorst, this has been a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day—or in the case of 2020, year. We’ve endured fire, flood, plague, isolation, deaths, conspiracy theories, violence, protests, and possibly worst of all, a gut-wrenching presidential election. And, that not being QUITE enough, the disruption of the accepted processes for a presidential transition. Is it at this point that we cry “uncle”? 

Heading into the Christmas season, though, we can report that we are all healthy, and reasonably safe here in Alexandria—wearing our masks, washing our hands, and keeping our distance. We miss going to the movies, going to the theater, fine dining (though we HAVE had some fine curbside pickup), and of course, getting together with friends and family. When we think of what we are missing now, however, the consolation is always “Maybe next year..”. Far better to be safe right now. 

Our note to Santa says that we have been VERY good this year (though it’s been hard to be naughty, when we’re confined to our houses and forbidden contact with most occasions of sin..) Our “nice” activities have involved photo sorting, reorganizing stuff, totally EMPTYING our last storage space, getting a new stove, re-doing the dining room lighting, and basically, catching up with all the things we’ve postponed till we had more time. But even these have gotten pretty old, and we think longingly of plays in NY and West Virginia, map conferences (yes, even me!), Chautauqua, and all the other portions of this cancellation year. 

Sarah is still working from home as an assistant city attorney for Alexandria, and Darnell is doing the same with his job, with occasional required days in the office. Sarah has also been helping us screen the many curbside pickups in town, and we’ve all discovered some hitherto unexplored locations—notably one that offers grapefruit margaritas by the pint. 

(continued) 

 

Kay and her family continue in Tucson, with Audrey and Claire doing virtual learning and Kay working from home. Paul is still with the foundry on a part-time basis and they are also working on the home-improvement side of things, totally re-landscaping their yard, and doing the seemingly-endless fix-ups that home ownership entails. 

Like most other families, our Christmas-ing is happening largely on-line (thank God for Zoom), which isn’t entirely satisfactory. BUT...everyone seems to be doing well—and my nephew Eric and his lovely wife, Tiffany, are expecting a little girl in May, which gives us all a positive boost and an event to look forward to. Times may be hard right now, but we consider ourselves to be among the lucky ones who have all that we need to get by until better days return. 

For the moment, JC and I are planning to fly to San Diego right after Christmas—if only for a change of scene. We intended to visit Tucson at the end of January..but all that depends on the virus and its attendant statistics, as well as the vagaries of vaccine distribution (which we don’t expect to see until late spring, if then.) Ah, to have life be predictable again! 

So, from our house quite literally to yours..stay safe, stay healthy, keep in touch, and have as merry a Christmas, and as happy a new year as your circumstances allow! 

JC & Mary 

jcmcelveen@gmail.com 

marymce@gmail.com