Xtra Xtra

I have this memory; it’s more tied to a scent than a visual memory I hold. It’s so simple I may not have recalled it at all if I didn’t fall in love with this Hello Kitty hand lotion I found like a diamond in the rough

Why Physical Fitness Matters — In Daily Life, and Emergencies

Physical health is a personal responsibility. Physical health is a civic responsibility. Staying physically fit isn’t about appearance. It’s about function: how well you move through daily life, how you respond to unexpected challenges, and how much strain your body can handle without breaking down. Daily Life: The

What Could $67,000 Have Done for Montgomery?

Montgomery to Test Downtown Ferris Wheel as Part of Riverfront Revitalization Effort | News List | City of Montgomery, AL Montgomery is trying to revitalize — but revitalize what? And at what cost? Sixty-seven thousand dollars were spent on a temporary, three-day Ferris wheel installation at the Riverfront, as a trial run for

From Celtic Origins to Cajuns: A Detailed Historical Timeline

1. Celtic Migration to Armorica (5th–6th Century CE) * After the collapse of Roman authority in Britain (~410 CE), Anglo-Saxon invasions pushed Celtic Britons to flee. * Many settled in Armorica (modern Brittany), merging with local Gaulish Celts. * Cultural inheritance included: * Language: Brythonic Celtic, ancestor of modern Breton * Maritime skills: Coastal

The French Naná

She passed in the year of 2020 still alone, her French quieted. Her story remained unbeknownst to her, maybe even her mother, not knowing why they hid their language, not knowing why they had layers of shame undefined by acknowledgment. She passed in the year of 2020, still alone, her

The Call

Through various stages of destruction, I watched my sister’s addiction grow—to the point that she hit our Nana. An unexpected phone call came at work from a police officer I knew from high school: “Kris, can you get here now? It’s bad. Your sister hit your Nana.

America, a Nation of Addicts

America is a nation of addicts No one is excluded, myself included Everyone is in a different phase Trying to make it through it Most are in complete denial Unaware of the cause of all their trials. Others out roaming aisles, long ago they lost their smiles The largest of

For Riley

We took our time saying our goodbyes— first, to the moments tied to seasons we both knew we wouldn’t see pass again. Then to the toys that no longer held your interest, or that the pain and fading energy wouldn’t allow. Then slowly, to our daily rituals, the

Marie Barbara (Arsenault) McCarthy

Note: This is the original version I wrote in 2020 after my nana passed. Much of it was changed in the final version shared publicly at the time. I wanted to preserve and share this one here, as I wrote it, in her honor. Marie Barbara (Arsenault) McCarthy June 27,

Jeanne Marie O'Keeffe

Note: This is the obituary I originally wrote for Jeanne Marie O’Keeffe in 2016. It was published in Legacy Remembers but is republished here in its full version as I wrote it—honoring her memory and legacy. Jeanne Marie O’Keeffe (Minkle) Topsfield, MA | Formerly of Malden July 1962

Molasses in Hot Water: A Feminine Tonic for Aging Gracefully

Molasses Beauty Tonic Steeped in tradition and intuition, this simple recipe is more than a drink—it’s a reclamation. A slow pour of minerals, sweetness, spice, and citrus, designed not to fight age but to nourish the body as it changes. The Ritual This tonic brings together all four

Baths Are the Simmer Pots for the Soul

Pouring in, pulling out. Intentions and healing ingredients go in; the unwanted is drawn out. Water becomes the carrier. Salt becomes the boundary. Oil becomes the seal. And the herbs become the whisper. Each bath a living ritual—part science, part spell—designed to nourish the body, unburden the spirit,

Poetic Personal Catalog

An Ode to my Lineage

There is a lineage of yoga that saved my life. An introduction that came more than once. First it came through friendly offering—seemingly— the practice came in solitude, a trio of distribution, but I resisted what I viewed as illusion. Sister Renee, on her mission to save the day,

Poetic Collective Catalog

A Eulogy for the Scroll

Everyday fatigue, from hearing it all Did you know? Click here, like and subscribe LTK and Amazon storefronts — oops, the credit card is on freeze. Don’t ask me that, please. Comment section: be kind. Wouldn’t it be easier to rewind? App this, a website for that. Subscribe to

Poetic Collective Catalog

Daily Drop Collective Oct 7 2025

No lands should have been conquered, no wars waged, no ideologies forced to enslave, others killed and erased, no vile pollution of our elements — air, soil, water. No deterioration of land, no animals slaughtered by men pretending to be brave. We were rich in delusion, poor in communion, and full

Health and Wellness Essays

Physical Health for Real Life

Editor’s Note: Originally written in August 2022. Our idea of physical health usually goes hand and hand with the latest diet and exercise trends or a positive checkup at the yearly primary care visit. In truth, well-rounded physical health goes far beyond our most common concepts. Many people suffer

Public Essays and Proposals

The Evolution and Realignment of Insurance: From Risk Sharing to Aligned Functioning

Editor’s Note This essay traces the full history and evolution of insurance—from its origins in ancient trade to the modern systems that shape everyday life. Written to offer both historical understanding and a forward-looking solution. If you’re primarily interested in the art and reform sections, you can

Poetic Personal Catalog

Bayou Betty

They called her Bayou Betty She got mad Answered back, “I’mma city cat” Concrete under my pads I’m from New Orleans I know about architecture And this and that

Transmutation in the South

Chicago is the North you know to think of when living in the South — especially the Deep South. You kind of know of New England but not really, not enough to consider it — just like you wouldn’t the Pacific Northwest. Maybe it’s because we follow the rivers, but

Daily Drop Collective 9/23/25

When you are too tired to feel, close your eyes and look up to feel me there. When you feel too tired to fuel, think to yourself: your preparation for me. When you are tired and crying, know that I am in the sky, trying to tell you I am

Poetic Collective Catalog

Daily Drop Collective 9/18/25

It is okay to start a new way. Still we stay unsure, tamed to endure. Shaken to our core, again, again, once more. Mistaken Earth down to her core. Now she revolts, saying: I stay silent and still no more. People crying out to level the score, Spreading false messages

Poetic Personal Catalog

S.Betty

She is a rescue — but as many have said before, she has rescued me as much as I have her. She welcomed me in Louisiana. She scouted my land in Alabama. She teaches me steady boundaries, relentless self-care, and how to follow the rhythm of the day, not the time

Poetic Personal Catalog

The Daily Personal 9/16/25

I looked to the floor, to the door — where you stood no more. Bright then, in the den, you asked why it was I couldn’t do this before. I said, I am not sure — I must have needed more to pull forth this softening and pour in once more.

Poetic Collective Catalog

Daily Drop Collective 9/16/25

Emaciated dreams Immeasurable extremes Promised days tied to deranged ways. Versatile markets that can’t clear empty dockets. Sanctimonious Sectional BS on stolen sacred land Unrelenting torment to keep up with their demand doomed to be lost without a stance doomed to be sick without a stance doomed to cease