© Words and pictures Dan DeMarle 2020

When the world is crazy

The noises are too loud

The screaming on the news too strong,

When the chaos seeps out from beneath the attic stairs

When the house is too cold

The bills too many

The world too dark

I lay on my bed and…

picture fireflies in a night sky

and us laying out on our mats

looking up

at the majesty of the night sky

and I know there will be a dawn.

© words by Dan DeMarle 2020

4/6/17

© words and pictures by Dan DeMarle 2017

From today’s Public Market – 100% recyclable including the box (no I don’t know what the bristles are made of – I assume bamboo). Great way to cut down on plastic. Just think of all the toothbrushes you have used in your life still being around a billion years from now. Then some alien civilization finds it. Gets your DNA from still intact bristles and clones you to use for protein sandwiches! Ughh!

Anyways $4 for one and $6 for two. They will be back next week and are next to the egg lady. They have other cool stuff too!

Because they are wood, you can carve your name and date of purchase into them, using that wood burning kit, your creepy Uncle Bob gave to you, after getting it as a goodbye gift from his favorite guards in the big house. Or you could just use a pen. Anyways…

Lastly these are great incase of an apocalypse. Then they can be used for kindling or quickly carved into a mean little shank to fight off any Alien invaders.

This just goes to show the many uses of things from the Rochester Public Market. Save the Earth and save yourself from becoming a protein sandwich to some Alien parasite, now AND a billion years from now!!

© words and pictures by Dan DeMarle 2020

A man goes to heaven and meets St. Peter at the gate. The man says ‘I’m here’. St. Peter says “Show me your scars!” The man says “I have no scars.” St. Peter says “you mean with all the battles God gave you to fight – battles to protect the weak, the put upon, the oppressed, you fought for none.” The man stood silent.

“Ok then” said St Peter “then show me your burns.” The man shrugged no “I have none.” St Peter says “you mean when the World erupted in fire due to climate change you did nothing to help put them out, nothing to save God’s animals, nothing to save the homes and lives of your fellow men and woman from the fires.” The man shrugged sheepishly.

“OK then” St. Peter says, “show me your bowed back and stretched arms from trying to lift up and help those less fortunate than the family God birthed you into and from you. God gave you those gifts for a reason.”  The man has nothing to show.

“Ok”, St. Peter says with a smile, “Show me your bank balances, hidden and not hidden from the Government,”  The man then smiles broadly with glee, and suddenly finds himself inside a very different gate burning with fire.

© words by Dan DeMarle – premise adapted from a story told by Martin Sheen

Christmas 100 years ago.  This was after the end of World War 1. This is from the Democrat and Chronicle on 12/25/1919.

Christmas in Rochester 125 years ago.

From the Democrat and Chronicle 12/26/1890

Rochester was as Dickensonian as it could be.

© picture by Dan DeMarle 11/30/2019

I first wrote this in 11/13. It is still very true today

I am Thankful for many things.
Many things many of us take for granted.
The fact that I can breathe and move without pain.
The fact that my body still serves me.
The fact that I do not have an incurable disease.
The fact that I am lucky enough to live in a house, not a shack, hovel, or box on a street.
The fact that my city is not being bombed.
The fact that I do not have to drive through checkpoints on my way to work.
The fact I don’t have to worry about road side bombs
The fact that my daughter is expected to and can go to school.
The fact that I do not have to defecate outside by the side of the road.
The fact that I do not have to worry about parasites in my drinking water.
The fact that I am fortunate enough to be able to afford food.
The fact that I do not have to show I am capable and trying to work to get food stamps from my government.
The fact that I have the freedom to speak against my government.
The fact that over two centuries ago the founders of this country thought a bill of rights was important.
The fact that no one in my immediate family has died from gun violence.
The fact that I happen to have chosen my life partner well, and that I had that choice and it was not forced on me.
The fact that the women in my life can chose what to wear on their heads or their bodies.
Lastly the fact the I am lucky enough to have my family and that I am fortunate enough to call you my friends.