Disagreement, not disrespect

By SKIP MENDLER

I looked down the length of Main Street with just a bit of trepidation. As in the last couple of years, Waynepeace was again part of Honesdale, PA’s Memorial Day Parade. We were a small gaggle of about 20 peaceniks, led by an American flag, a Veterans for Peace flag and the Waynepeace “Seek Peace” banner. Some of us carried John Bromberg’s small “winged hope” puppets, and others carried cards to be distributed to the crowd with various words of peace. Andrea started up our song for the day—Pat Humphries’ benedictory round, “Peace, Salaam, Shalom”—and we were off, among the Boy Scouts, floats, antique cars and marching bands.

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Saving the world

A sparrow, trapped behind an invisible glass barrier, flew straight up and across the room, headlong into apparently open sky, and fell to the floor at a startled cafe patron’s feet. I offered my garden hat to the small cadre of women who had flocked to rescue it. One of them scooped the stunned bird into my bonnet and took it outside.

It was mid-day in my lower Manhattan neighborhood. I had accompanied my friend Trina to the cafe, to hear the latest progress report on her four-year-old Schnauzer, Eloise, who is suffering from terminal cancer. She is my friend’s emotional touchstone, as well as her muse and companion. A recent prognosis gave Eloise only days or weeks to live.

Now, the sparrow was lying on its side, in a nearby planter, breathing fast, but not moving.

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