Upper Left Edge

04/17/2024

Watt Childress wrote an epic springtime poem.

Here Try Some of This OintmentApril 17, 2024 by Watt Childress Leave a Comment Spikenard (Nardostachys Jatamansi) Spirit is risen forever in these surgingWeeks of spring. Greentide rolls along,Letting go of drudge, finding newWays to release our keeps. All thrallsBe free as a word now, flown from ga...

02/21/2024

Here's to ice storms and wet walks and healing at home. Huddle up for a winter essay by Cliff Taylor.

The Beautiful Live Wire of 2024February 20, 2024 by Cliff Taylor 1 Comment Life on the Oregon Coast is lush, rainy, packed with creativity and community, and like everywhere else, doesn’t always go as planned. Barely a month and a week into this new year, my life has been lovingly sculpted by unfo...

12/21/2023

Cliff Taylor bundles up an evocative holiday poem!

READ ALL ABOUT IT! 1999December 19, 2023 by Cliff Taylor 1 Comment Still a teenager and wrapping customers’books for Christmas at the bookstore.Sun and snow and cold temperaturesmaking a giant snowball out ofall the cars in the parking lot.My bossy retired teacher co-workerslike noble Muppets expe...

12/17/2023

Thank you Steven Mayer for this wonderful holiday gift!

A Memorable ChristmasDecember 15, 2023 by Steven Mayer 1 Comment “First story ever written in my life.” Steven MayerIt is the coldest winter in recent German history (1963). Coal shortages and power outages compound record snowfall and freezing temperatures. A deep sense of religious tradition e...

11/27/2023

Watershed FolkNovember 27, 2023 by Watt Childress Leave a Comment Friday November 17, 2023. Community members circle up at sunset to honor Native salmon.We gathered around a small fire on the sand by Ecola Creek, near the spot where a whale gave her life in service to others. Our purpose was to hono...

06/20/2023

Watt Childress dispatches words from the bedside of Mother Nature.

Open Letter for Creation’s CaregiversJune 19, 2023 by Watt Childress Leave a Comment “The Tree Whale” painted by Jessica Bromley Bartram(jessicabartram.ca)Good morning everyone who loves the earth. Greetings from Appalachia, where I’m helping Mom endure bedfast living on hospice. She watches...

05/13/2023

Darrell Clukey poses a question many of us have asked.

Am I a Writer?May 8, 2023 by Darrell Clukey 3 Comments About twenty years ago, as I stood outside my office at Portland State University, it struck me in an instant that my life had just changed. A surge of energy rose through me, emptying me of any desires that had driven my long career. All profes...

04/26/2023

Watt Childress writes about the return of a wondrous literary event.

Swimming with the WordsApril 24, 2023 by Watt Childress 2 Comments Homestyle literati: Omar El Akkad, Terry Brooks, Elise Hooper, Lyanda Haupt, and Lauren Kessler.How did it feel to Get Lit at the Beach after postponing the event for three years? Like refueling an empty tank, breaking a long fast, o...

01/08/2023

A new year begins with writing from Steven Mayer and Watt Childress.

11/08/2022

Rabbi Bob weighs in with his choices. Whoever you choose, remember to vote.

My November 2022 Ballot ChoicesNovember 6, 2022 by Rabbi Bob 1 Comment It’s time again to exercise that most important of citizen’s duties in our republic (I won’t use the word “democracy” here to avoid adding to the chorus of folks talking about its end) – voting. (Actually, I’m think...

11/04/2022

Tired of the same old electioneering? Watt Childress invites us into another dimension of political discourse.

Midterms in the Oregon MultiverseNovember 2, 2022 by Watt Childress Leave a Comment “In My Sleeping Bag VI” by Pam Haunschild (pamhaunschild.com)Nehalem, All Souls Day, 2022Sayings handed down from pundits of yore suggest the veil between realities thins this time of year. And every election c*c...

03/13/2022

Writers Cliff Taylor, Steven Mayer, and Watt Childress add to the altar of soul relations. https://www.upperleftedge.com/

12/24/2021

Greg Herren shares a poem with a message for every holy day.

The EdgeDecember 23, 2021 by Greg Herren 1 Comment The edge feels closer than ever,from the first of the day stepping out of bedto the moment I lay down my head on my pillow.It’s the moments in between that matter.A smile, laughter, a hug. Simple right?Every day is a chance to make a differencein ...

11/19/2021

Beautiful poem from T H Savaht!

My Grandmother’s candy dishNovember 18, 2021 by T H Savaht 4 Comments Is gonesoldnot long after her deathjust likethe musty oldoriental rugrolled updrug outbeatwhile making disgusted grimaces and squintingamidst an operettaof dustthe candy dishauctionedwhile still cradlingPeruginasItalian hazelnut...

11/14/2021

Several writers have contributed since our last dispatch. Check out offerings from Steven Mayer, Rob Gourley, and Watt Childress. https://www.upperleftedge.com

a small paper for a small planet

08/26/2021

Can a freshened sense of the sacred grow our capacity to heal? Watt Childress affirms this possibility in a deeply personal essay about the balancing power of love. https://www.upperleftedge.com/2021/07/30/more-than-allies/

More Than AlliesJuly 30, 2021 by Watt Childress 4 Comments Love with Medicine on Her Birthday“Somebody downstairs getting married today.”— voice heard before waking circa first light on summer solstice, 2021“But it is certain that, in order to pass from a given state to its opposite, though ...

04/23/2021

"What is happening in a small town on the upper left edge of Oregon to promote the history of a former Native village and its people will help make a difference in America’s struggle to mend its ways. Repairing a local rip in history helps mend the whole fabric."

NeCus’ Village: Spirit Upon the LandApril 20, 2021 by Darrell Clukey Leave a Comment January 8, 1806. Captain William Clark is with a small party from the Corps of Discovery standing atop a steep, rocky headland jutting into the Pacific Ocean. They are a day’s-plus walk south of their winter enc...

03/04/2021

"Les doy este circuito de letras cargadas por los recuerdos de nuestra amiga, la señora Ursula K. Le Guin, quien fusionó palabras en nuevos mundos brillantes". -- Watt Childress

Relampago en la Republica de PoemasMarch 4, 2021 by Watt Childress Leave a Comment selfie americano “Desenvuelve la vieja seda muy lentamente.” – Ursula K. Le Guin Para la poeta Diana Bellessi:I.Les doy este circuito de letras cargadas por los recuerdos de nuestra amiga, la señora Ursula K. L...