*me, walking up seven years late with Starbucks* so how about that show, “Stranger Things”?
my beige flag is that no one can convince me to consume anything culturally popular before i’m ready
Hello—happy April! April, now that I think about it, is a pretty good month: it really does start to feel like spring, what with the tulips are blooming, the longer daylight hours— not to mention the poetry of it all!
One housekeeping note (ooh, official) — apparently Substack has been sending emails asking people to pay to subscribe to this newsletter and, to be clear, a) I did not send those out and b) you do not ever need to pay for this newsletter! I mean, listen, you always can if you want, but that’s not why I write this newsletter. Substack wants you to give $$ way more than I do, those greedy bastards.
Anyway, since it’s National Poetry Month, I thought I would share some of the poetry books I read in the last year and enjoyed: Almond Blossoms and Beyond by Mahmoud Darwish; The Orange and Other Poems by Wendy Cope (shout-out to Brie for hauling the specific edition I wanted from London!); I Do Everything I’m Told by Megan Fernandes; and So Long by Jen Levitt.
Unless you’re me (whoops) you have probably already filed your taxes, but in the even that you haven’t, check to see if you’re eligible for Free File, which is software associated with the IRS to file your taxes for free. (If anyone ever asks you, “why doesn’t the IRS figure out how much we owe on their own” never forget it’s a lot of reasons, but mainly because they’re an underfunded government branch that is continually underfunded and that lobbyists from companies like Turbo Tax make sure of it so that their companies can thrive. It is infuriating!!)
For today’s recipe, as we know, I love gnocchi. If gnocchi is on a menu, the odds are good that I’ll order it. Today’s recipe is for Crisp Gnocchi With Sausage and Peas. This was excellent and easy (for my vegetarian friends, it’s very easy to switch out the meat-sausage for a substitute), although it takes the gnocchi way longer to brown than this recipe suggests.
For this week’s astrology, Mercury is in retrograde as of today. It shouldn’t be as chaotic as the eclipse energy, but just beware of what you do. Be very intentional and present in your actions; slow down, don’t rush. And remember to be flexible if you can, and to take a deep breath when little things get in your way. It’ll be okay.
Today’s poem: “Our Beautiful Life When It’s Filled With Shrieks” by Christopher Citro:
I'm doing a balancing act with a stack of fresh fruit in my basket. I love you. I want us both to eat well. We’re not allowed to buy blackberries anymore because they’re mean to their workers and you read left-wing news sites. Till when? I asked and you said nothing. So that’s one healthy food off the list. I’m still buying pineapples and you’re still eating them. I guess you’ve never seen the websites about those. Nobody in this supermarket knows that I am a puma. This morning our cat rolled on the floor showing me her belly which I leaned down and rubbed. Beneath a backyard pine tree the neighbor’s cat was eating one of our cat’s moles— at least the moles we rent from the landlord for her. It’s so complicated staying alive sometimes. The voices of the collection agencies on the answering machines sound menacing. They’re paid to sound that way and they’re not paid much more than the people they’re menacing, which can get you thinking if you’re the sort of person who likes to think about that sort of thing. Other people subscribe to adventure cycling magazines and read about men who rode across Turkey in the late 1800s before anything was happening in the world. Before cantaloupes probably existed. When you could get an honest wage for an honest day’s blackberries. When we loved like fierce mountain storms, with the blood of eagles in our hearts, exchanging grocery lists that just said you you you you all the way down.
That’s all from me. Stay safe, take care, and see you next time.
Happy to help! also lol enjoy stranger things!