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Elizabeth Silleck La Rue, Esq.'s avatar

Beautiful tribute to the Hudson. She is a steady and wise thing that saved me more than once from myself. Also, the clownpocalypse is what we can call the current administration when we are needing to satirize for survival.

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Karen Gordon's avatar

Haha yes the clownpocalypse! I love your repurposing of the word! Re Hudson, she is indeed a steady and wise thing. 😊🙌

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Keith Christiansen's avatar

just beautiful. I used to live in Yonkers and know and love that section of the river very well - although I'd guess you're a bit further north from these pictures in a spot with a lot of Ichabod Crane references...

There is something beyond all of this, I keep saying, even as we left NY some 4 years ago and we're not going back for a pile of reasons, but the default systems of cruelty being accelerated to such extremes is saddening, terrifying, and happening in full view of the world.

Stylistically, second person is an interesting choice - it draws the reader in & I really like what it does for your piece.

I presented one of the few short stories I know of in second person recently - and it's kind of closely associated with these ideas, from Julio Cortazar called "Graffiti" (or you can check out my piece about it here: https://keithchristiansen.substack.com/p/were-not-from-here-either-graffiti?r=3p5tb).

The story is in second person and it is about a a person who takes to drawing on walls in the middle of an oppressive regime. It's one of my favorites.

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Karen Gordon's avatar

thank you so much, keith, for your kind words! i will check out this piece you recommend. so nice to encounter someone else who knows and loves the yonkers river vibe. :)

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Amy Brown's avatar

Absolutely beautiful and so moving. I could feel your heartbreak in every line, but yes the river has an eternal wisdom. I am glad you are finding solace there. Do you know this beautiful song? https://open.spotify.com/track/0j6jbIJrOEVpBzshKvbzJ7?si=hFbTd7jmQNKyion7HMncgg

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Karen Gordon's avatar

Thank you so much, Amy. I did not know this song, but I just listened to it three times on repeat. I love it! And I didn’t know this artist either and she seems wonderful. Thank you for sending this to me! More much needed medicine. :)

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Amy Brown's avatar

I had a feeling you’d love it. 💗

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Bridget Young's avatar

I think about that experiment all of the time when visiting my son in an actual U.S. prison. How desensitized people become, and how quickly.

I prefer throwing stones into the river, even though they only sink right now. 🖤

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