I have people to thank

I have people to thank and to be thankful for. My singer songwriter friend, Lang Owen and my good buddy, the poet Al Black made the winter so much brighter by dreaming up a fabulous collaboration called, “Two Hats and a Ponytail.” Lang is the true talent of the group. His songs punctuate with heart and lyrical beauty. Al and I read our poems. The audience experiences a weaving of voices through song and poetry. Al is a brave poet and promoter of voices. Al reads from his many books but especially his latest and compelling collection, “Man With Two Shadows,” published by Muddy Ford press. Ed Madden, the city of Columbia’s poet laureate writes in the preface to Al’s collection,

“This is a book filled with small, liminal moments, a book of doors and walls and windows, of waiting rooms and phone calls, of moments shot through with the hurts of the past but bent and remade to the demands of the present and the inescapable future.”

I am blessed to have Al and Lang in my life. Hold on to your friends and pick good ones. In this strange and complicated world, friends and family are vital. They lift you in ways that matter.