"Instructions for Having a Soul"
Take it out in the rain sometimes.
It has vast, invisible wings that gather dirt
and need rinsing.
When it tries to kill you
that is because you've forgotten
to let it look into someone's eyes
for longer than a minute.
It needs that the way a bee needs nectar
in the early morning dew.
Every so often, take it on a journey.
Let it read long, hard books
and let it stare into the depths of the sea.
Yes, you can give it chips and whiskey
but from time to time let it kneel
in a place that is holy
like the simple cathedral of the willows.
All it wants is to live, to keep becoming.
Nourish it, and it puts down roots, it opens.
But starve it, and the mind, the flesh is empty;
the world breaks down; symphonies go unwritten;
the rockets fall;
the children die
in flames.
Listen.
It is not too late
to wake it.
Say the names
of the wild, the forgotten things:
bluebird, red wolf, robin; violet, child, clover.
You cannot save the world but you can open
the window for the trapped wren in the cellar.
Read a book to a blind man, to your father.
Tell a child you do believe her anger.
Make your life the first life that you save.
—Joseph Fasano
Emphasis added. If you know, you know.
When you have some time and the inclination, look up this writer and teacher and gift yourself one (or more) of his books.
Our souls need nourishing with poetry and art and music. And speaking of music, we are going into the studio very soon to record a live album of mostly originals, some previously recorded, some not, with a very small audience of family and friends who live nearby.
I want to document this core lineup while I am able. We have worked a long time to get this unit tight, and I am not quite ready to let that go, so I want something to hold onto, to remind me of how dedication and consistency can create something worth making.
June 13th from 4 - 8 pm at The Saloon will be our last performance with this lineup for a while, as Martin is moving to NH.
Not sure about video yet, but we will try.
Ox,
Mari
Upcoming dates:
June 13th - The Saloon, SF
July 11th - The Saloon, SF
July 13th - Sausalito Cruising Club
Additional 2026 dates at
4 - 8 pm at The Saloon :
August 8th
September 12th
October 10th
November 14th
December 12th
