As of this evening, the county where I reside is under a lockdown and the New Jersey National Guard are activated and are on “high alert” with imminent orders forthcoming. Only businesses deemed “essential” like grocery stores and banks are open. In five minutes, as I write this, we begin an 8:00pm curfew. Today actually […]
Author: p.w.eubanks
I came from New Jersey.
But ended up in Tennessee.
I left for Indiana.
And ran off to the Scottish highlands for a wee bit.
Before I went back to Tennessee.
From there on to Israel.
And eventually Morocco.
Followed by a little stint in Tennessee again.
And Missouri.
Until I finally came to New York City.
By way of Shelter Island ferry.
And now at best I think I'm
Where I belong.
With my feet on the ground.
Planted and ready for whatever's next.
Don’t Be Afraid
Walking through the streets of New York City in the rain today, I had a brief moment where I thought I wasn’t in the United States. People have started wearing face masks to protect themselves from COVID-19, the “coronavirus,” and it’s a bit of a jarring display of something that falls somewhere between preparedness and […]
Jury Duty
The halls of the courthouse are painted this drab green that makes you wonder what kind of person makes those kinds of decisions for a public building and doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in government. With few exceptions, there are no wall decorations, no picture frames, save maybe a scant poster about employee rights. If you […]
Trump Will Not Leave Office Alive
That is to say, he does not intend to ever have to step down or stop serving as President of the United States. And as outlandish a statement that may seem to those of us who still want to believe in and hope that our sacred norms and traditions remain sacred, the writing is already […]
The End of Democracy
It was my third grade homeroom teacher in Tennessee who spoke about the great melting pot or salad mixer. Or maybe the Cub Scout trip to the local courtroom for a civics lesson toward a merit badge to see the judicial branch at work. It was my Sunday school teacher taking her confirmation class to […]
In the Event of My Violent Death
This is an admittedly sobering and macabre piece for which I am providing a trigger warning of sorts given the discussion of violence and death herein. Though it’s personal on some level, I don’t really see this as something I am writing about me but rather something I am writing about my hopes for our […]
In the Juggle Between Life & Death
I wonder if people enmeshed in palliative care become desensitized to death the way those of us who work in human rights do after we’ve seen so many awful things humans tend to do to one another. Our fights for justice, I think, are sometimes one step removed from the human face of it, because […]
Learning to Embrace Impermanence
I’ve taken lately to watching videos of my sweet puggle, Daisy Mae, as a way of coping with her death. We live in this world now where we record or take a snapshot of nearly every moment of our loved ones. In Daisy’s passing, I’m glad for it. It brings back memories I’d nearly forgotten. […]
On Grieving My Sweet Puggle, Daisy Mae
I haven’t yet found the energy or wherewithal to throw out her toys. Or doggy bed. There’s a bag of food still in the fridge and I’ve been avoiding opening the door so I don’t have to look at it. This morning as I stood at the top of the stairs, the sun was beaming […]
Ode to Daisy Mae
I always loved how, whenever a dog would meet Daisy Mae – our fifty-two pound puggle – they were always a little beside themselves. Even the little, ugly muts that bark at everything and won’t shut up somehow managed to stop in their tracks and look at her like, “What am I supposed to do […]
