Two years to this month I left my full time job at an environmental nonprofit to pursue my passion for writing and music. I wasn’t sure how long my runway would last me, but loads of music gigs and various part time jobs are making this new life seem possible. I’ve been playing out a lot. So many gigs. Maybe too many. A lot of farmers markets, public libraries, senior centers, some restaurants, farms, community events, and even some festivals.

I might re-name my Substack from “Pellegrino’s Puzzles” to “Adventures in Songwriting”, since so many of my recent posts have been new songs rather than the prose/essays I started out with. Things have evolved, and the songs are what’s coming these days so I’m gonna go with it. Thank you for your support along this journey. I hope you know how much I’d love to reciprocate and support any creative projects of yours.

Write On!

I definitely want the songs to speak for themselves, but sometimes it’s nice to share a bit of the process and context too, a la VH1 Storytellers and Behind the Music. I always loved those shows growing up.

This latest song is a slower one, and didn’t get written nearly as easily as the latest one, "Calling You Home". It’s also a sort of uncomfortable truth to uncover.

To have spent so many years of my adult life working in “sustainability”, and now to realize that if change is the only constant, then nothing is really sustainable. I’ve always preferred the regenerative paradigm more anyway, the ‘leave it better than you found it’ ethos.

Sometimes life gives us these moments that feel especially precious or tender. This song is an attempt to bottle that beauty, while also acknowledging the fickle nature of it all. I also think it’s fun to explore topics in the quantum realm, because at the end of the day no one really knows what’s going on here. And I find that kinda delightful and freeing.

“Nothing is Sustainable”

I guess nothing is really sustainable
Change, a constant variable
Are we fighting time, 
or a force more fixed?
Like gravity or a kiss you can't resist


It's all so fleeting
Some say a blessing to be breathing
But I'm still trying to catch my breath

All these future fears, don't include death 
And if it's all so fleeting
And all these moments we try to save
Stocking up on made up money
Like we can take it to the grave
No matter how they try
I won't play their game


I guess nothing is really sustainable
Change, a constant variable
Are we fighting time, 
or a force more fixed?
Like gravity or a kiss you can't resist

It's all so fleeting
Some say a blessing to be breathing
But I'm still trying to catch my breath
All these future fears, don't include death 

And if it's all so fleeting
And all these moments we try to save
Stocking up on made up money
Like we can take it to the grave
No matter how we try
Nothing stays the same

Hi Friend,

There are several posts I have started for here and they’re saved as drafts. One of them is on mentors, another is about my impressions from my recent trip to Portugal (the big takeaway? EVERYONE NEEDS A VACATION).

Having the discipline to sit down and write is proving challenging while in the thick frenzy of peak gigging season, aka summer. The songs are still coming regularly though, and for that I am grateful. Here’s one that first came as a melody, which rarely happens. Usually I get both the lyrics and melody together. And as recently wrote in one of her posts, new songs have an energy to them, so I wanted to capture this before it faded.

The melody came to me last week after a performance at a local public library. I’ve also been playing a lot of senior centers lately, where I do a lot of “oldies”. I think the influence will show. There’s a little widget after the lyrics where you can listen to a bedroom recording of it that I did today on my phone. If it ever gets recorded in a studio one day, I don’t think it’ll have a whole lot of other instrumentation. Curious what you think though. Also, any preference on which post to finish first- Mentors? Or Portugal? Please share your thoughts in the comments section, the engagement makes my heart feel real full.

Alright alright now, here is the latest new song I’ve finished, called

“Calling You Home”.

“Calling You Home”									            7/16/26



Darling I’ve waited such a long

long time for you

To help me get in my right mind

I can’t find the words to match the birds

As they sing their songs of longing

Honey, this is my heart calling you home



When we first met I knew

That I could never lie to you

Luckily that’s easy to do

cause my heart is true



You were kinda skeptical

Knowing we’re susceptible

To breaking our own hearts in two



The love was a flood

We almost got washed away

Now what’s taken root is anchored

Like the sea to the bay



Darling I’ve waited such a long

long time for you

To help me get in my right mind

I can’t find the words to match the birds



If we move like water, we will flow

Let go of what we ought to and float on home



Darling I’ve waited such a long

long time for you

To help me get in my right mind

I can’t find the words to match the birds

When the world's not right
But I can't give up the fight
So I chase my tail
And remember surrender 
If all else fails

When the world's not right
But I got you by my side
Still gonna plant some seeds
And tend to the land and hand that feeds


When the world's not right
I think of you and smile
It's like I hold that little light
With each new tomorrow

When the world's not right
You make sense of it all
All things put in their place
For once and for all

Finished on 5/31/26 in Setúbal, Portugal

“When the Sea Was Low”

When I was young
And the sea was low
We thought we always had tomorrow
We were Queens, tearing down the Kings
Listening to songs our heart sings

Never thought it'd be an easy road
But we gave up fighting for control

As I grew old
Something told
Me these stories
Don't hold

It's a house of cards
Falling hard
And on a quiet day
You can hear us say

Never thought it'd be an easy road
But we gave up fighting for control

Performed on the rooftop of a hostel in Setúbal, Portugal

Hello there! I’ve had some new free subscribers over the last few months, so welcome, and a BIG love-filled shout out to my paid subscribers who inspire me to really prioritize writing. Welcome to Pellegrino’s Puzzles. It’s been a while since I’ve done a bit of an introduction.

I started Pellegrino’s Puzzles back in 2022 (then called “Pellegrino’s Sustainability Puzzles”) as a way to develop a consistent writing practice and process some of our collective challenges. Through prose, essays, and now also poetry and songs, this is my attempt to try and make sense of the world by writing about it.

When one studies, practices, and works in sustainability for a number of years like I have, some things become clear. For one, we're all bozos on the bus. No one has it all figured out, especially from a sustainability standpoint. When looking into sustainable systems, you realize there’s no lack of technological solutions. We know what we have to do, and we have the technology to do it. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that we can power our cars, homes, and buildings on renewable energy, with back-up storage batteries that can be recycled.

What we lack to implement these solutions, is political will. I remember being a teen and feeling the fury of the realization that this energy transition will take place on Big Oil’s timetable, because they hold all the cards.

I wonder what might shift if we reframed the debate and set climate change and poisonous pollution aside, and we asked ourselves- is it wise to build energy infrastructure that relies on a finite fuel source? Obviously not, and the next generation deserves better.

And yet here we are. Starting unjust wars with countries in the middle east to feed our oil addiction, AGAIN. It’s so enraging that lately I’ve been strongly considering returning to a day job to work in solar. It’s all connected.

Sustainability → Money → Power → Politics

Money & Politics as Proxies for Power

I’m going to get into politics today. I’ve written about politics before (see “Spiritual Material”, “Power & Democracy”, and other posts). I feel it is too important to stay silent about such consequential matters. Really “politics” is proxy for power, and when most folks say they don’t like talking politics, that’s mostly code for:

I have power & privilege

I want it to go unchecked,

and I don't want to examine it.

Given the state of things, this guy Marshawn from Louisiana, really kinda says it all. This is one of the most accurate “State of the Union” addresses I’ve ever heard:

Marshawn is spot on, the gutting of the Civil Rights Act and the redistricting that’s going on, is the GOP’s way of cheating because they know they’ve lost the morality and popularity contest. As he so aptly puts it, “The MAGA party is the last breath of the confederacy”.

So let’s talk about these midterms. Do you also wince a bit when you hear talk about a “blue wave” or “blue tsunami”? It’s like we’ve heard this before… Will voting “blue” down the ballot really reflect a democratic society of critical thinkers, and get us where we want to go? Where do we want to go?

Dirty Laundry

I remember it well. Waking up the morning of November 5th, 2015 was indeed, a rude awakening. It was overcast, everything felt heavy. I read the news, Hillary lost the election, and we now had a nightmare scenario become reality. A grifting reality TV star with zero political experience was now the President of the United States.

At the time, our washing machine in our home was broken. We as a household were literally unable to do our dirty laundry. I remember thinking, hmmm, maybe this is a metaphor. Over the months following the 2016 election, I remember quelling myself by saying, well at least now we’ll maybe be able to do our dirty laundry, as a country.

Obama’s election seemed to expose the racist underbelly of the U.S., with closeted racists now coming out. To this day, DT does everything he can to dismantle the legacy of our nation’s first Black President.

While I was no huge Hillary supporter, I do remember seeing the vitriol being thrown her way and how disproportionate it seemed. It felt like it was less about the candidate, her track record, and more about deep-seated mommy issues and misogyny. I was not, and still am not a fan of Hillary Clinton, but I voted for her. As I voted for Kamala. But I will no longer identify as a Democrat until the party addresses the malfeasance that took place in 2016.

“That’s what I said, booby trap!”

At the end of the day, I think our current political system is a giant booby trap (that’s what I said, booby trap!) sewing seeds of division to keep us fighting over the crumbs, while the billionaire/Epstein/parasite/ruling class, sits pretty.

As the famous quote goes:

For literally decades, Senator Bernie Sanders has been sounding the alarm around economic and racial inequality. His fight for fairness and justice dates back to the 1960s, as evidenced by photos like this one:

This photograph reminds me that police are often on the wrong side of history, as demonstrated by events like the Stonewall Riot, and law enforcement’s origins with slave catchers in the South. Who is here to protect and serve, and who receives protection and service depends heavily on money, power, race and class.

Righteous Rage

When I see hatred directed toward others, I can sometimes see the masked self-hatred behind it. I think for anyone to hate a whole group of people whether that be racism, sexism, homophobia, etc- part of it is rooted in unaddressed self-hatred. But rather than look inside and do the inner work, that negativity and vitriol is projected onto others. “They’re the problem.”

It’s one of the world’s best worst magic tricks. So many have been brainwashed to think that immigrants are the source of our economic distress and societal problems. Meanwhile business executives have been shipping jobs overseas for decades, and many in the workforce are being asked to train their AI replacements.

The level of hypocrisy coming from self-professed Christians has reached fever pitch. What on God’s green Earth lines up with the cruel and unconstitutional practices of this regime, and Jesus’s teachings? “Law & order” have completely gone out the window. We are living through a time where a convicted felon that likely suffers from mental illness, occupies the highest seat in power. This administration casually makes and breaks laws, the compromised courts are too slow to catch up, and the Democratic Party has been rendered impotent.

Like many of us on the left, I puzzle over how we got here? A petty tyrant wannabe dictator brimming with pathology, sewing division, violence, lawlessness, and chaos on a daily basis. It’s absolutely exhausting. These days, when people ask me how are you? I have to be honest and keep it real. I say “I am tired of tyranny. But focusing on my joy, and those that are putting good out into the world.”

And while the MAGA cult has its own civil war over the pedophile in chief and how Epstein is in the Trump files, us progressives are plagued with a litany of unresolved issues that haunt us to this day. If we don’t start having deeply honest, open conversations about our own liberal trappings, then I fear that come the midterms *this November*, this violent chaos hurricane we’re in will only strengthen in intensity.

We have to talk about 2016…

I know there are many other progressives and self-identifying liberals who feel similarly- the Democratic Party lost my loyalty when we witnessed what they did to Bernie Sanders in the 2016 election.

They had their candidate, Hillary Clinton, and ignored the will of the people. That’s when they lost my trust, and the establishment’s corruption was exposed. It's remarkable how many people were going to vote for Bernie, and then ended up voting for Trump. I now identify as an Independent because I value being a free thinker, and cherish the ability to question any convention. Otherwise you're in a cult!

So. What did we (leftists/progressives) get wrong? I found this discussion with economist Clara Mattei and Indigenous Elder Roberto Mendoza for the “Forum for Real Economic Emancipation” to be very insightful regarding analysis of the mistakes from past progressive movements.

It’s always been a slippery slope for me. Pessimism can easily slide into hopelessness and despair. From there, then what’s the point of doing anything? Now we’re in nihilistic territory, and…

“Despair is not an option.” - Senator Bernie Sanders

We need to have leaders that aren't just fighting authoritarianism, but are working on building a democratic society where we're all thriving.

Let’s clean our house so we can have more truly progressive leaders like Zohran Mamdani and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, and send the corporate Democrats a clear message that the American people won’t stand for their lies and corruption anymore.

Democracy requires our participation and engagement. We cannot be outside spectators or complacent consumers. Let’s unpack the trappings and corruption of the DNC from 2016 and beyond. What happened? How do we make sure that doesn’t happen again? What are the other questions we need to be asking?

Let's have these conversations with our progressive friends and be asking these questions to each other so we don't have another rude awakening come November.

Thank you for reading and for your support of this publication. I'll be honest, this post isn't as buttoned up and polished as I'd like it to be. But I wanted to get the conversation started, so that we can turn the tides and start building back our democracy.

In Love & Solidarity,

Lisa Pellegrino ✨💖✨

“May your choices reflect your hopes,

not your fears.”

- Nelson Mandela

With Only Love,

Lisa

"When 2 Become 1"

What if the divide is designed?
People look at it like there are 2 political parties
But what if they are 2 sides of the same corrupt coin?
Designed to divide us 
and keep us fighting amongst ourselves

They got us fighting over the crumbs
While the money funnel numbs

Not everybody wants to rule the world
Some of us just want balance, justice, and joy

May we wake up 
and stay woke
Dream!
But stay woke

The levels of psychosis in the highest halls of power seem to have reached fever pitch.

Do whatever you need to do to stay sane right now.

Take care of yourself, your family, and if you can, your community.

The scapegoating of immigrants and trans people has got to stop. It’s a total bait-and-switch, and I think more of us are starting to see through the charade. I know it’s become a cute term to use “divide and conquer” at work when we talk about splitting up tasks to be more efficient, but that phrase is rooted in entities gaining and maintaining political power by using divisive measures. And boy are we falling hard for this one. It’s literally one of the oldest pages in the oppressor playbook. Let’s “unite and build”, shall we?

I wrote some lyrics a couple days ago, and while part of me wants to keep polishing it, I feel more compelled to just get it out there. Not sure if it’ll ever make it into a song, but here it is in its raw poetic form:

“Oh Pathology”

This weather
The climate 
Some sense
I can't find it 
So hard to be happy 
In a world with so much need 
I just want to be happy 
But these fuckers and their endless greed 

I wonder what's so threatening 
about expressing 
gender beyond a binary?

I guess they need to know 
What's underneath your clothes 
So they pick the right prey
I pray everyday 
These sick people get the help they need 
Oh the pathology

At least we have science on our side
The biological markers of sex as a guide
None of which exist in duality
All on a spectrum
Let’s take it back 
to Freshman Year
Health Class

Most people just think of external genitalia
But there’s internal too
Chromosomes
Hormones
Gene expression
Skeletal structure
Brain structure
And don’t forget the fun secondary sex characteristics
that emerge during puberty
like hair
voice changes
and breast development
None of which are black & white, all existing on a spectrum


We're being systematically poisoned 
with carcinogens and endocrine disruptors 
But I can't say shit
Cause I smoke cigarettes
So let's pump the population full of chemicals 
that dysregulate hormones 
And then demonize the result

Industry before humanity
Profit over people
It’s the American way
Oh the pathology

These fuckers and their greed
You know they'll never be happy

Who gets to decide what's wrong and what's right? 

Who gets to decide what a disorder is,
and who gets to diagnose? 

Who wrote the DSM?

...

Maybe I look this way so I'm not a target 
The mind moves on
but the body never forgets

I guess they need to know 
What's underneath your clothes 
So they pick the right prey
I pray
These sick people get the help they need 

Further Reading

• Mental health & the origins of the DSM: Maybe you’ve been gaslit too?

• What’s the connection between 9/11 and the Occupy Wall Street movement?

• What’s gender got to do with it?

Further Watching

Leeja Miller is a lawyer who provides legal insight into the daily constitutional crises happening. She has become a favorite way for me to stay informed, as she is incredibly smart, and has heart centered ethics and integrity guiding her work.

Lastly I’d like to give a shiny hearty shout out to my paid subscribers, many of which are my real life friends. From the top and bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you,

THANK YOU:

• Frank Burdette

• Jessica Marschall

• Joshua Nichols

• My cousin Amy

• My Mom, aka “Matka”

• Janet Getler

• Pam Eckstut

• Scott Lee

• Cassandra Korndorffer

• Maia Simon

• Libba Pinchot

• MW

• Carol Pauli

• Alix Daguin

• MegaRN

• Genie Abrams

Y’all are the reason I’m able to write uplifting songs like “Bouncing Back”, which is now 1 week old, and can be listened to only on Bandcamp: https://soilandsoul.bandcamp.com/

Please let me know if there are creative projects you’re working on that I can support.

How are you expressing yourself these days? Would love to hear from you in the comments.

With So Much Love & Gratitude,

Lisa

Below is what’s getting published in their Artist Spotlight for The Ellis Diaries.

Beyond the booth # 3: Lisa Pellegrino

Everybody’s an artist.

Trapped in someone else’s truth.

Life is a path of liberation.

How free do you want to be?

Me? The freest.

As defined by Nina- no fear. And I mean NO FEAR.

…

More than money, more than fame.

I just want to break out, and change the game.

…

Howdy Neighbor,

Lisa Pellegrino here, lead organizer for Newburgh Porchfest, bandleader for Soil & Soul, and whimsical disciple of the church of compost (it’s hot!).

What a thrill to write up a little something for The Ellis Diaries.

The Ellis is quickly becoming one of my favorite places and spaces to play, and I mean PLAY. It’s been beautiful to witness how quickly it’s taken root in so many hearts here in Newburgh, and beyond. After years in the making, when The Ellis finally opened its doors back in the fall of last year, the Newburgh Porchfest after party had the distinct honor of being the first live music event to play the space. I’ll be returning to The Ellis stage on April 11th with my band Soil & Soul, opening up for Palmyra and Judy Blank. Blue Jay Shake will be on bass, Judy Gaunt will be on trumpet, and we’ll be playing all original songs I’ve written, with a select cover or two.

So much of my connection and experience of The Ellis is shaped by Albeart “Al” Mizrahi, the lead steward of The Ellis. Al has been on the planning committee for Newburgh Porchfest from the jump, and we were fast friends. I wish everyone had a friend like Al, so warm, supportive, and also whimsical, while being a deep thinker and very caring soul. Al has shown up countless times to the open mics I host at Midnight Ferry (starting back up on May 6th and moving to every other Wednesday!).

And here I go gushing about Al when this artist spotlight is supposed to be about me. But maybe that’s part of what good artists and friends do, they shine a light on those, especially the ones working behind the scenes to nourish a flourishing arts & culture community.

____________________________________________________________________________

Here’s a video of an early recording of an original song I wrote called “Sweet Dreams”. I filmed it at The Ellis before it was officially opened to the public. The space itself is so expansive, and I was excited to capture the rawness of this moment in my life. It’s a big nod to Patsy Cline, one of my main influences, and hopefully that comes through.

When I graduated undergrad I thought I either could have a creative career, or be of service to the world.

It’s taken me 20 years to realize that was a false dichotomy. I now take my cues from Nina Simone & Pete Seeger, using music to not only express myself but to advance environmental and social justice causes. And to get people singing. Because music is the most magnificent medicine I’ve experienced. Mutually beneficial, co-regulating, healing… Making sense of a world that often feels nonsensical.

Someone asked me today, so how many people are in Soil & Soul? About a dozen… and the list keeps growing because I live for spontaneous collaboration and I’m constantly making new friends, thanks to the vortex of awesomeness that Newburgh has become.

I know I speak for several other performing artists when I say that The Ellis- with its towering ceilings, stunning architecture, awesome acoustics, and spacious stage, is helping us dream bigger than before.

Here’s to experiments, reflections, and movements.

Life is a path of liberation.

How free do you want to be?

I recently sent my dad a video of Bernie Sanders meeting with AI experts who share with him why “The Humans will be Discarded”.

My dad replies with “Maybe that’s what happened to other Alien species as well. Everything in the universe has a rise and fall. We may be digging our own graves.”

The last line really jumped out at me, and one of the more musical songs I’ve ever written, tumbled out. The music is still in the works, but here are the lyrics as a special thank you for my paid subscribers. Your support puts wind in my sails, and food in my fridge.

Stay human.

With Big Love,

Lisa

"Digging Our Own Graves"

I guess we're digging our own grave
We don't mind, we don't mind 
Not like we got souls to save anyway
In money we trust
Anything, anything to make to make a buck

Read more

“Inventions”



White collar industry

The laptop class

Brought to your knees

Brought on as copilot

Train your replacement

Remote, non-essential



What is your life besides your time? 

It's all made up anyway

It's all invented





I'm just sitting here 

watching the wheels fall off

Stolen land

Stolen work

What is your life besides your labor…

Read more

I hope this reaches you in good health and good spirits. Though even I’ve been saying happiness feels like too high a bar these days. But there are moments of joy, often involving music, and we cannot let them steal our joy. And so, we rise.

Pellegrino’s Puzzles has made some twists and turns. When I began this Substack almost 4 years ago now, I set out to develop a regular writing practice. My first posts were about some of the takeaways from starting my own pesto business (yes the green sauce), and my thoughts on what a zero waste future might look like. As someone who’s worked professionally as a waste reduction consultant, I think I will always be some level of fascinated and frustrated with “trash” in its various forms.

It wasn’t long till I was getting into thornier, more pressing topics like Power & Democracy, mental health, and gender. I re-named the Substack from “Pellegrino’s Sustainability Puzzles”, to a pithier “Pellegrino’s Puzzles”. It’s evolved, and I’ve slowly started including the songs I’m writing. It’s been a great way to get more of my writing out there, even if I haven’t finished the song, I can still share the lyrics and perhaps some of the backstory.

Emperor’s Clothes Drop

My band Soil & Soul recently filmed a video for our 3rd time entering NPR’s annual Tiny Desk contest. If you’re not familiar with Tiny Desk Concerts, they are these stripped down performances at NPR’s office headquarters in D.C. In my humble opinion, it’s one of the coolest ways to discover new music and to hear more intimate versions of artists’ songs. In many ways I think Tiny Desk picked up where MTV Unplugged and VH1 Storytellers left off.

For this year’s Tiny Desk contest entry, several key pieces came together. For one, I found a new videographer who just so happens to share my passion for nonprofits and helping communities prosper. Another puzzle piece was that the song selection process was a lot easier than past years. It became increasingly apparent that “Empire Has No Clothes” was the song to submit. With everything going on, I’ve been eager to get this song out into the world ASAP. And while my band’s lineup is ever-changing based on gig geography, budget, and scheduling, I got to have one of my favorite combos of instrumentation by having my friends Jay on bass, Judy on trumpet, and Liz on violin.

I even made a little “behind the scenes” highlight reel. Here’s a video for the video ; )

It’s been surprising to learn how many people have actually never heard of the old folktale The Emperor’s New Clothes. When I wrote this song I really did think that everyone knew the story, and that it was as ubiquitous as The Three Little Pigs, or Goldilocks.

According to the Wikipedia page for The Emperor’s New Clothes:

Sometimes songwriting can take a while rather than all the lyrics, chords, and melodies just tumbling out at once. I worked on this one for several weeks, and even posted an early version for my paid subscribers (thank you!). There are so many reasons why I feel this song is relevant. As a young girl I remember being enamored with the idea that the hero in the story is a child because they haven’t learned conformity yet. The raw authenticity that leads to the challenging of authority spoke deeply to the curious and critical thinking parts of my brain that were very much still developing.

We are in a moment where we are being told not to believe our eyes and what we see. It’s next level gas lighting, and sadly George Orwell predicted this with his 1949 seminal dystopian novel 1984:

“The Party told you to ignore the evidence of your eyes and ears”.

But there are signs of resistance, liberation, and hope happening all around. The more of us that speak out, the more we can shift the culture. My hope and dream is for us to reclaim our minds and our time, and take our power back.

There’s an unintentional co-writer for this song that I must give credit to, Sonya Joy Key. I met Sonya through an event my band had played for the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, a nonprofit dedicated to building a more just and sustainable food system. Sonya and I had been texting to coordinate pickup of my CSA share that was part of the gig compensation. The morning of November 6th, 2024 came, and I was struggling to get out of bed, crushed by the news. I shared this with Sonya, telling her I’m going to be late to pick up my veggies. Sonya messaged me back:

I was so moved and inspired by these words, I knew I needed to tie them to a melody. Thank you Sonya for your contribution to this song, and to my own sense of resilience and hope.

Having integrity, by having our expression match our experience, is one of the most important things we can be doing.

And so, an old folktale inspired this ode to truth and belief in our shared humanity.

Here’s our Tiny Desk contest video for “Empire Has No Clothes”:

Video Credits:

Acoustic bass guitar: Jay Harrison
Trumpet: Judy Gaunt
Violin: Elizabeth Landis
Acoustic guitar & vocals: Lisa Pellegrino
Song written by ‪@LisaPellegrino‬ & Sonya Joy Key
Directed by Noah Rosecrans of Rose Crown Productions
Filmed at The Ellis in Newburgh on January 23, 2026

"Empire Has No Clothes"

It's hard to feel hopeless
when I hear the birds sing
it's hard to feel hopeful
when Freedom can’t ring

but everybody knows
that our empire has no clothes
and everybody sees
what they want to believe
and I believe, in you and me, you and me

It's hard to feel free
When so much injustice we see
How are we not all riled?
Don't overlook the obvious, learn from a child

cause everybody knows
that our empire has no clothes
and everybody sees
what they want to believe
and I believe, in you and me, you and me

the sun shines, and so do we
nobody said empire falls overnight
it's never too late to fight for what's right
so come on dig deep, we got truth to speak 

cause everybody knows
that our empire has no clothes
and everybody sees
what they want to believe
and I believe, in you and me, you and me

I believe in you and me. I really do.

With all the chaos swirling around us right now, I think it’s important to listen in.

How do you feel called to show up?

Don’t let other people tell you what you should be doing. Do what feels right, even if that just looks like prioritizing self care. Our nervous systems are being ravaged, and focusing on our own healing and well-being is some of the most important work any of us can be doing right now. Not all of us can be in the streets, but there are phone calls we can make, letters and emails we can write, and difficult conversations we can be having with those that are complicit.

There are so many ways to play a part in standing up for truth, justice, and love.

Thank you for believing in me and my writing.

With Grit, Groove, & Gratitude,

Lisa

This was a tough one to write. Wrestled with it for over a week…

“Bless the Boys”

Swallowed hole in the belly of the beast 
It's dark down here to say the least 
The people pray for profit even if it costs peace 


And I don't understand man 
No, I don't understand man 
Haunted by the ghosts on this stolen land 


Rather than right a wrong 
Dig your heels in, pretend you're strong 
But we know you're broken inside 
So bless the boys that break the world when they could’ve cried
Bless the boys that break the world 


Maybe guns have always been toys 
Points in a game, whatever he destroys 
The people fight for money and other man-made ploys 
So bombs away because boys will be boys 


And I don't understand man 
No, I don't understand man 
Haunted by the ghosts on this stolen land 


Rather than right a wrong 
Dig your heels in, pretend you're strong 
But we know you're broken inside 
So bless the boys that break the world when they could’ve cried
Bless the boys that break the world 

We can still write this wrong 
And silence is the same as going along 
But we're all a little broken inside 
So bless the boys that break the world when they could’ve cried 
Bless the boys that break the world
Bless the boys that break the world
Bless the boys that break the world

Many deep heartfelt thanks to my paid subscribers that encourage me to prioritize my writing, whether it be songs or reflections here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

With Only Love,

Lisa

This is not my first time setting poetry or prose to music.

In fact, as I forge ahead in this new career pivot to music I’m learning so much about what I would describe as the secrets to great songs. In one word, it’s MELODY.

Some of course will disagree and I’ve resigned to believing that all reality is now up for debate and even the hardest of facts can have holes poked in it. I’m looking at you gravity.

One of the seniors in a music workshop I was facilitating a couple months ago, said something so woo woo and yet so plainly. She said something to the effect of:

I’ve also recently learned that a key part of making great music is to establish a pattern, and then disrupt it. What are we and what is the world if not patterns in repeat blended with the Uncertainty Principle? Sounds like a recipe for fun to me.

But back to setting poetry to music.

About a year ago, it clicked for me that there can be fuzzy lines between lyrics, poetry, mantras, and prayers. A poem can be lyrics, lyrics can be a poem, a poem can be a mantra, a mantra can be a prayer, they all swirl and dance around together.

When I read Rumi’s “A Great Wagon” the words struck me so deeply that I knew I needed to set it to a melody and sing it regularly like a sonic mantra, so that I could truly integrate its profound messages. Like a prescription from a doctor, take this 2-3 times a day… I wanted a consistent reminder to let the beauty we love be what we do. To remember that there are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

To remember that I must ask for what I really want.

To be transported to the Divine scene painted with the words:

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field. I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.

Drums and beats are foundational and primal, humans first language. Chord progressions build on rhythm and make the pattern more interesting. Melody though is stickiest because although there are many iconic melodies created with musical instruments, many of the most widely celebrated are associated with the human voice. Melody is deeply human. And avian (think songbirds).

Melody transcends language. It is universal. The end of “Hey Jude” or the recently revived “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes elucidates this point because the chorus soars precisely due to its lack of complexity. It’s mostly two words “hey” and “yeah”, and you kinda got it belt it to hit it. Also though, what the actual f*ck, is really going on? I think in no small part this chorus also succeeds because it’s a question. I wonder if its famed songwriter Linda Perry, ever thinks about the striking similarity to Marvin Gaye’s 1971 hit? Apparently the bible even says “there’s nothing new under the sun”, and that’s a pretty old book…

As I begin my research for my own song publishing, my head spins. Publishing Rights Organizations, or “PROs” to speak in music biz lingo, collect and distribute royalties for songwriters and composers. It would be “wise” for me to register my songs with a PRO like BMI or ASCAP. Prior to the commodification of music, particularly for the genre of folk music, it was literally the way new music was made. You built your own songs off of chords and/or melodies that were handed down from previous generations.

Pete Seeger talks a bit about this in his sing-a-long memoir “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”. Though even Pete is guilty of misappropriating music for his own personal financial gain. Songs like “We Shall Overcome”, and “Wimoweh” which The Tokens later took and transformed into the famed “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”, based on Solomon Linda’s original melody, a Zulu songwriter from South Africa.

Even Pete relinquished:

The realm of copyright law and publishing rights gets daunting really quickly.

But as my long-time friend and creative collaborator “Professor Play” aka “Lady J” aka Jessica Brown once said:

“It’s Okay”

One autumn day, a couple houses down from me, we came across a collection of items on the curb, a witch’s moving pile. We knew it was a witch because of well, all the witch books. One of the books was not a witch book. It was titled “The Comfort Book” by Matt Haig. On page 10 lives a little passage called “It’s Okay”.

With winter officially here, and the instinct to hibernate, it felt like these words found me at the precise right time. Granting me all the permission I knew I already had, but needed to be reminded of…

“It’s okay to not make the most of every chunk of time.”

- Matt Haig

I wanted these words in my life regularly, as a mantra of sorts.

So I set the words to music and tied it to a melody.

I’ve never written a song before that I heard so clearly as a “dance track”. It begs for a beat. And while drums were my first instrument, I have not learned the art of beat making… yet. Heck I’m still struggling to figure out my own ability to multi-track!

So here is the raw acoustic version, a kind of cross between musical acts Goth Babe and the Shout Out Louds. With words respectfully re-arranged that were originally written by Matt Haig. Matt, if you ever read this and are not comfortable with or “okay” ; ) with me sharing and remixing your work like this, just say so and I will take this post down.

Happy, peaceful wintering to you.

May we all lean in to slowing down and hiding away for a bit if that’s what our minds and bodies feel called to do. I know I’m increasingly taking my cues from Nature.

With Love, Groove, & Gratitude,

Lisa

Twenty years.

It’s been TWENTY years since I was in AmeriCorps, an experience that so positively impacted and shaped my life. If you’re not familiar, AmeriCorps is essentially a domestic version of the Peace Corps. In my early 20s I was very much of the mindset that I either could pursue a creative career in theater (which at the time felt trivial and self-indulgent), OR, that I could be of service to the world. It’s literally taken me TWENTY years to realize the flaw in this belief, and that it is a false dichotomy.

I sometimes joke that seeing through false dichotomies is the 6 figure takeaway from grad school.

Individual consumer change, or systems-level corporate change?

Evolution or revolution?

Economic growth, or environmental protection?

I learned how to spot these, and slice through the bullshit. Or at least I thought I did, but they can be sneaky!

False dichotomies are often used to force loyalty or simplify complex issues like politics or morality, and push choosing between extremes when other possibilities exist. This is why I’ve learned to call bullshit when someone tells me there’s only one way to do something. I will reference the exactness of math and algebra, and how there are numerous ways to do different calculations.

Breaking out of the Matrix

July of 2025 marked the 1 year anniversary since I’ve been an independent musician and writer.

I want this life for everyone. This feels like the path of liberation.

Or at least for everyone that wants to call their own shots, direct their own work, and be the captain of their ship. I get it though, not everyone wants that level of responsibility and not everyone thrives in ambiguous, rapidly changing work environments. The world needs all kinds though, supporting cast members and main characters.

I think my biggest reflection on a year in being a working musician, is ‘boy is this shit hard work’. I’m really glad I didn’t wait any longer because playing music out, especially this often, for 2 or 3 hour performances at a time is very physically demanding. And I know I’m not getting any younger, so I’m really glad I’m making a go at it now. I have a much greater appreciation for the expression “paying your dues”.

I’ve long struggled with math, but going back to school and studying business was an intentional exercise in getting more comfortable with calculations. Numbers and stats can be incredibly instructive, and they’re also beautiful for brevity. So I crunched some…

2025 by the Numbers

By year’s end, I’ll have completed…

• 135 performances

• in 4 states: NY, RI, MA, & VT

• playing with over 19 different musicians

• 34 of these were community events

• 21 farmers markets

• 18 gigs for sustainable agriculture nonprofits, 2 of which were on a boat! (shout out to Pete Seeger’s Hudson River Sloop Clearwater)

• 14 senior centers for their memory care programs

• 36 bars/restaurants, 2 private parties, 1 hotel in Provincetown for Women’s Weekend!

• 3 festivals

• 2 public library performances

• 2 conferences

• A jazz club, a coffee shop,

  and…

• TWO radio station appearances!

  • Thank you DJ MK for having us on WKZE back in March

  • And WAMC did a spot on our Tiny Desk submission that you can actually listen to here: https://www.wamc.org/news/2025-05-18/wamcs-local-favorites-from-the-npr-tiny-desk-contest-enjoyous-and-soil-soul

I also am getting more comfortable with video editing.

Here’s a 2025 highlights reel I made that I hope brings you some joy:

Enoughness

The 2025 word of the year for me has been “enoughness”. And I picked this word before reading Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Serviceberry. It’s the antidote to an over-consumption based economy that is constantly whispering in our ear how we’re not enough. So, I leaned into enoughness this year.

Clearly an idea whose time has come, because would you believe that I also got to be in my 1st music video for my new friend Rachael Sage’s song “Just Enough”?!

Beginning Recording at Astrolab

This past week, I began a journey that I can tell will be consequential for my path going forward. I started the recording process for Soil & Soul’s debut EP at my friend Avi David’s recording studio in Cumberland, RI called The Astrolab. What’s an EP you might be wondering? An EP, or “Extended Play”, is a musical release with more songs than a single but fewer than a full-length album, or “LP”. Gotta start somewhere…

I’ve not fully processed and integrated just how enriching the experience was... Being on a 4 day recording retreat at a long-time friend’s newly opened recording studio, bringing to life songs that were finally getting the attention they deserve. Having the space to create with someone I deeply trust, and who I have such a long and storied music magic past with, was kinda something out of a dream. A portal to portals… Speaking of, we were even able to patch in via zoom my new music mentor, recording artist & platinum record producer Barb Morrison. Barb is awesome, and I highly recommend their mentorship for music or writing.

Offers and Asks

The Post Growth Institute has an Offers & Needs Market that they facilitate, which is an intentional meeting format where people come together to share, well, yeah, you guessed it, their offers, and their needs. https://offersandneeds.com/

I’m starting to incorporate simplified versions of this relational structure and conversation format. As capitalism has us de-humanizing each other and destroying the only habitat we have, it seems like an important logical response to the insane world we’re living in.

And so, with that, here are my offers and asks. All are open for negotiation to be given as gifts, bartered for, or exploring exchanges of payment. Let’s get creative…

Offers:

• Please let me know if you think you could benefit from creative project coaching, or even just a soundboard or accountability buddy. I believe in all your dreams you want to make true!

• I love me a closet to organize, or a cluttered storage area to restore order to. No judgement here, and I can assist with ensuring all items you let go of are put to highest, best use.

• The world needs more music! I firmly believe that music is one of the great healing, levity medicines, and serves as a counterpoint to the weight of our times. If you’ve flirted with the idea of taking beginner guitar or ukulele lessons, I got you.

Asks:

• Before this EP gets released into the world, I am going to need to figure out how to let people know about it, so I welcome any and all help with marketing. Particularly with setting up a Bandcamp page, and linking all of Soil & Soul’s online presence (website, YouTube, Instagram, and ), so that there’s clarity and cohesion.

• Might you or anyone you know be interested in collaborating on the cover art for one of the songs on the EP? Here are the song titles so perhaps an idea can be sparked:

1. “Queer Joy”

2. “Empire Has No Clothes”

3. “Bouncing Back”

That’s all from me for now. Thank you for being on this journey with me. Try to keep your sanity this holiday season. Remember that listening and your loving presence is one of the greatest gifts that any of us can give each other. And it’s FREE! Woot woot!

Thank you for your interest and support of my writing. It means so much to me, and I hope I can reciprocate by supporting your creative efforts.

May we all lean in to being fearless, caring creators.

With Love, Queer Joy, & bouncing back to Hope,

Lisa Pellegrino

Last year I wrote about

If you’d like to educate yourself on some of the real history behind the Thanksgiving holiday, then I recommend this 11 minute piece that PBS did with Historian Joel Cook.

I am observing today as a National Day of Mourning in solidarity with the Indigenous People of Turtle Island.

I gain important insights when I educate myself on the history and current affairs of Native Peoples. As someone who’s practiced, studied, and worked in sustainability for the last 15 years, I inevitably keep coming back to the original stewards of this Land. Some of my favorite teachers are Indigenous women. Lyla June inspired this post of mine on “Living World Language” where she introduces the Indigenous concept of humans as a keystone species, rather than a scourge on the Earth, imagine that!? I also greatly admire the work of Winona LaDuke, , and most notably lately, .

The many years of my work in waste reduction can be elegantly summed up by this quote from Robin:

Robin’s work and words speak deeply to me. She is often articulating a truth that resonates in my core, all the way to my soul. She beautifully bridges the worlds of Traditional Ecological Knowledge with our empirical-loving western science. I wrote here about Robin’s latest book the Serviceberry, which I regularly turn to as a road map for an alternative economic system.

With immense reverence and respect I share with you what I believe to be one of the most important parts of the Serviceberry. On page 64 Robin shares what she calls the “guidelines” of the Honorable Harvest.

“What would it be like to consume with the full awareness that we are the recipients of earthly gifts, which we have not earned? To consume with humility? We are called to Harvest Honorably, with restraint, respect, reverence, and reciprocity.

The guidelines of the Honorable Harvest are not usually written down, they are reinforced in small acts of daily life. But if I were to list them they would look something like this:

Know the ways of the ones who take care of you, so that you can take care of them.

Introduce yourself. Be accountable as the one who comes asking for a life.

Ask permission before taking. Abide by the answer.

Never take the first one. Never take the last.

Take only what you need.

Take only that which is given.

Never take more than half. Leave some for others.

Harvest in a way that minimizes harm.

Use it respectfully. Never waste what you have taken.

Share.

Give thanks for what you have been given.

Give a gift in reciprocity for what you have taken.

Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.”

From Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book The Serviceberry

I’ll leave you with some additional resources I found very insightful to acknowledge today with integrity and honesty, but also with love and gratitude:

From the Friends Peace Team page entitled “Approaching Thanksgiving”:

One beautiful way we can integrate an Indigenous perspective at our Thanksgiving table this year is by using the Haudnesaunee Thanksgiving address, which honors the natural world and the source of our food. Consider including in your words of gratitude Indigenous people who have generously shared their ancestral seeds and agricultural knowledge for millennia so that we may all thrive.

And if you are a parent, grandparent, or educator, engage with your local school’s curriculum and textbooks to ensure an honest telling of Thanksgiving.

I hope you’ve gained something of value from this edition of Pellegrino’s Puzzles. Comments and feedback are warmly welcomed. Also would love ideas for topics you’d like to see me cover.

I’m grateful for you.

With Appreciation for you as a fellow Truth seeker,

Lisa Pellegrino

"Masked Men"

It takes a second look
to spot the crook
Crime can be a curious thing

Cause who makes the law
Then breaks the law
Can mystify the most moraled wing

When the court jester tells more truth
Than the Thief in Chief
When the politicians are paid by polluters
To tell you what to think
Watch them float above the law while we sink

When masked men roll up asking 
“Do you want to live with criminals?”
All we need be are mirrors 
To reflect back to them
The injustice
The cruelty
The hypocrisy
It’s enough to make you go crazy

Christians 
Divorced from Christ’s teachings

This world doesn’t make sense

--

I recently listened to an episode of Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman where she had on Illinois State Rep Hoan Huynh. He shared this “Salute Method”, and I really appreciated this notion of “spread information, not panic”.

We keep each other safe.

Wishing you only treats today, and that you find/make some levity to balance out the heaviness of the times we’re living through.

With Love & Gratitude,

Lisa

P.S. My deep heartfelt thanks to my paid subscribers that keep this writing practice afloat, funded, and (bio)fueled! Even if you’re not a paid subscriber I really appreciate your interest and support of my writing. Please let me know if there are any creative dreams of yours I can be supporting. I mean that, genuinely.

Luckily, Fall is my favorite time of year. A welcome reprieve from the heat, when the trees remind us how much beauty there is in change, and in letting go… and oh the colors!

At the beginning of summer I was fortunate enough to land a part-time job working at my friend’s kayaking company, Storm King Adventure Tours. I told him I had been an Outdoor Education Guide in my early 20s, where I led boating trips and that I still knew how to do a “T-Boat Rescue” (a technique to get a capsized kayaker back in their boat). It was a natural fit for me (again!). I’ve been blessed with substantial physical strength and mobility. Combine that with my love for the water, penchant for adventure, and comfort with public speaking, and it makes for a really complimentary day job during the week, albeit seasonally.

Taking people out on the water is such an honor and privilege. What a treat to be sharing the history of the Hudson, particularly the Mid-Hudson region, the lore of Bannerman’s Island, the majesty of Moodna Creek, some of the Native American history of the land and sacred waters. With all that’s been happening this year, to be taking people out on the water paddling, and seeing sights like bald eagles who have remarkably rebounded from the days of DDT, gave me a hope I deeply needed.

Vermont Woods Meeting

It was all quite strange: a word-of-mouth, zero waste, all-acoustic music festival in rural Vermont at the end of August, organized by a band of Brits that go by the name Hudson River Incidentals, playing “live folk music on the Hudson River, powered by tide and paddle, delivered by open canoe.”

A common thread that linked many of us at this gathering was that we were all musicians that prided ourselves on environmental stewardship. One of my favorite performers from the weekend was Carolyn Shapiro, an award winning old-time banjo player and songwriter from upstate New York. We had a chance to meet each other after our respective sets on Friday night. It was wild how many connections we shared. We both grew up in Bergen County, NJ. We both have worked/are working in wasted food solutions; Carolyn works full-time running a food pantry. And we’re both fans of Pete Seeger, with Carolyn covering Pete’s “My Dirty Stream” as part of her set.

The Storm King Decision

About a month later, I received a call from a woman asking me if my band Soil & Soul was interested in performing at an environmental-themed event. The event would be promoted as a free concert commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Scenic Hudson Decision, or “Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference v. Federal Power Commission”.

The court decision is about how local environmentalists came together to save Storm King Mountain from getting leveled by Con Edison. ConEd was proposing to build the nation’s first large pumped-storage power plant back in 1965, a plan that threatened the scenic beauty and ecology of the Hudson Highlands.

This drawn out 17-year struggle mobilized and birthed citizen groups like Scenic Hudson, and established the legal precedent of citizen standing for environmental cases. The public awareness campaign around the fight for Storm King, coupled with the efforts of organizations like Scenic Hudson and Pete Seeger’s Sloop Clearwater (which exposed the river’s pollution), thrust environmentalism into the national spotlight and laid the groundwork for future environmental law and advocacy. The concert was to serve as a tribute to this legacy and a call to continued environmental stewardship.

Setting Legal Precedent

The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that citizens had the legal right to sue to protect natural resources and the environment. This consequential court decision not only set legal precedent for citizens to be able to sue utility companies, but it also introduced the “public comment” period for large, potentially damaging development projects. This case also set a precedent establishing that environmental and aesthetic concerns were as important as economic development. This is one of the reasons why the Hudson Valley is considered by some to be the birthplace of the modern environmental movement.

In addition to Scenic Hudson and the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, there were two other key environmental organizations that were also formed around the Storm King Decision- Riverkeeper and the Natural Resources Defence Council, or the “NRDC”. It’s hard to overstate the legislative and cultural impact the Scenic Hudson Decision had. There were then additional legislative wins such as the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act which required environmental impact studies for federal projects, and the 1972 Clean Water Act.

So when I was asked to play a free community concert celebrating the 60th Anniversary of this landmark legal decision, I jumped at the opportunity. When I thought who might also be excited and moved to perform at this meaningful celebration, Carolyn jumped right to mind.

Storm King Decision is part of a multimedia environmental artwork by Vivien Collens, with Jeannette Redden, and is dedicated to raising awareness and celebrating the impact of the Scenic Hudson Decision on environmental protection. The free community concert took place this past Sunday, Oct. 12th at Donahue Memorial Park in Cornwall-on-Hudson. In iconic Storm King fashion the weather was windy, but we were lucky. The rain held off just long enough for the event to happen, with a hardy and spirited showing from the community.

Used to Swim

In July of 2023 I wrote a post called “Used to Swim” based on a song I had just written. I am still puzzled as to why we bite the hand that feeds us and poison the water that we need. Re-reading the post, I’m reminded of how I really do get to stand on the shoulders of giants. So many activists, stewards, elders, protectors, and others that have figuratively moved mountains to literally save them.

While government can of course be corrupted, especially by corporate interests, our justice system in particular is one of the last vestiges of hope to protect us from corporations’ ruthless pursuit of profit. Even Pope Leo is feeling the need to come out and denounce “an economy that kills” and “imbalances of wealth”.

Oh deliver us from evil

Though we know what we do

Seems we can’t help ourselves

I know I got the greed gene too

Oh deliver us from evil

We can’t stop the wrecking crew

All these things we think we need

You know I think I need them too

But the only thing I need ain’t a thing

It’s truth

- from my original song “Used to Swim”

I have no nice, neat answers for where we go from here. Just questions that lead to more questions and curiosities.

I do hope you’re taking care of yourself, and remembering to dream new dreams, even while in this nightmare. I’ll leave you with a couple other pictures I took while on the river this summer.

May beauty fill your eyes and your ears, and love beat bright in all our hearts… with liberty and justice for ALL.

I greatly appreciate your support of my writing, it really means a lot to me. Only if you feel so moved I would gratefully appreciate a donation to help prioritize writing more, as well as you sharing my writing to help reach more readers. Comments and engagement are also greatly appreciated.

With Groove & Gratitude,

Lisa

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Nina Simone and Pete Seeger have been my two guiding North Stars on this journey. Two musicians that dedicated their lives to using music to advance environmental and social justice causes. I adore how Pete got people singing, which is its own special kind of medicine and momentum for a movement. And Nina’s sobering social commentary on songs like “Mississippi Goddamn”, the achingly beautiful prayer of “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free”, and “Backlash Blues”, inspire me deeply.

“It Isn’t Nice”

Pete Seeger has been my gateway drug to Malvina Reynolds. I’ve known of Malvina for many years now; the show Weeds introducing me to her biggest hit “Little Boxes”. A cutting commentary on conformity. Last week I gave a presentation at the Newburgh Historical Society’s Crawford House on Pete Seeger & organizing songs. A daunting task for someone like me who enjoys being thorough. And for someone like Pete Seeger who literally devoted his entire life to music and activism, it’s impossible to synthesize everything into an hour. Something or someone will be left out, it’s inevitable. My friend Jeff, the Executive Director of the Newburgh Historical Society, said that’s the challenge every historian faces.

The song that hit the hardest during the presentation was actually Woody Guthrie's “Deportee”. Its relevancy was a somber reminder how we've been here before. Patterns in repeat.

Last week I discovered another song from the Civil Rights movement that dropped my jaw with a couple of its prescient references, Malvina’s “It Isn't Nice”.

"It Isn't Nice" by Malvina Reynolds

It isn't nice to block the doorway,
It isn't nice to go to jail,
There are nicer ways to do it,
But the nice ways always fail
It isn't nice, it isn't nice,
You told us once, you told us twice,
But if that is Freedom's price,
We don't mind

It isn't nice to carry banners
Or to sit in on the floor,
Or to shout our cry of Freedom
At the hotel and the store
It isn't nice, it isn't nice,
You told us once, you told us twice,
But if that is Freedom's price,
We don't mind.

We have tried negotiations
And the three-man picket line,
Mr. Charlie didn't see us
And he might as well be blind.
Now our new ways aren't nice
When we deal with men of ice,
But if that is Freedom's price,
We don't mind

How about those years of lynchings
And the shot in Evers' back?
Did you say it wasn't proper,
Did you stand upon the track?
You were quiet just like mice,
Now you say we aren't nice,
And if that is Freedom's price,
We don't mind

It isn't nice to block the doorway,
It isn't nice to go to jail,
There are nicer ways to do it
But the nice ways always fail
It isn't nice, it isn't nice,
But thanks for your advice,
Cause if that is Freedom's price,
We don't mind

Another old song that I’ve recently discovered that steams with a relevant poignancy is the 1970s tune “Tear Down The Fences” by Ola Belle Reed.

"Tear Down The Fences"

Music and lyrics by Ola Belle Reed

 

Sunday morning, sun’s a shining
Flowers blooming everywhere
Birds are singing, a soft wind’s blowing 
Whispering a message in the air

 
If I could have one wish and know that it would come true
I wish that God would give us strength to know just what to do

Then we could tear down the fences that fence us all in
Fences created by such evil men
Oh we could tear down the fences that fence us all in 
Then we could walk together again


Sunday morning, dark clouds rising 
Oh, there’s no sunshine anywhere
A strong wind’s blowing, God give us wisdom
To grasp the message in the air 


If I could have one wish and know that it would come true
I wish that God would give us strength to know just what to do


Then we could tear down the fences that fence us all in
Fences created by such evil men
Oh we could tear down the fences that fence us all in 
Then we could walk together again
Yes maybe we could walk together again

These two songs are in my heart and soul these days, loud & clear. Each with its own significance and mood. Ola’s song makes me think of John Lennon’s “Imagine” in its call for unity and togetherness. While I find myself getting swept up in division, and the polarization of our country seems to be at a fever pitch, I can't help but wonder:

Who benefits most when we're at odds with each other?

If you know me, you know I’m a zero waste geek. I’ve gone back and forth with the idea of describing myself as a “zero waste junkie”, now a “recovering zero waste junkie”. I needed a break.

Just a little over a year ago I left my meaningful, decent-paying, full-time environmental nonprofit job to pursue my music & writing (shout out to my paid subscribers!! Your support means so so much to me, and is helping make this new life possible). It’s amazing to reflect on the year and how scary yet liberating it’s all been.

My work in sustainability, and more specifically on waste reduction, at many times felt like a losing battle. Let’s be real, trash is at the bottom of most people’s priority list. It often felt like fighting entropy. A natural law of the universe where chaos and the exhale of stuff/matter/energy is a stronger force than the inhale. Expansion>contraction. Or, order<chaos.

We are flooded with cheap goods. “Planned obsolescence” reigns supreme. This is when products are made cheaply, break easily, or are blatantly designed to be obsolete to serve a profit motive (what number iPhone are we up to now?). I get it, it’s a good business model. It’s also unethical and unsustainable.

On Repair

Repair can be hard. It takes time. Patience. And sometimes skills we don’t even have, or haven’t fully developed yet. However there is an ever increasing amount of learning resources, like “youtube university”, where one can watch a video to learn how to repair just about anything. So in some ways, repair has never been easier. So long as the will is there.

Take for instance frickin sleeping pads and air mattresses. There’s an air mattress my brother gave me years ago because the internal pump on it broke, and I’ve maybe used it 4 times so far. Of course, there’s also a slow leak. But can I “throw it away”? Of course not. There is no “away”! I hate the idea of adding it to the landfill or a toxic dioxin spewing incinerator. So the other day I looked up alternative uses for a leaky air mattress. I think its highest best use will be as a tarp for when we have our sign painting party for the 2nd Annual Newburgh Porchfest (my labor of love passion project that I took on just as I left my job).

Repair can also be deeply satisfying and rewarding. It’s also antithetical to our speculative, extractive, exploitative capitalist system. Repair is radical.

As I read the directions for how to repair the leak in the sleeping pad, I couldn’t help but think of emotional repair in a relationship context. My mind often goes there. I’ve joked about opening up an emotional repair cafe, since repair cafes have become a thing. It’s what I’ve learned to center whenever there is conflict. When there’s an impasse, I tend to ask questions like “What does repair look like for you?” The world seems impoverished when it comes to conflict resolution skills. We can all do better.

Getting divorced from fear

In July of last year, I used ChatGPT to write my resignation letter. A task I would’ve labored over for 2-3 hours. It was pretty magical to get that time “back”, or to have saved that time. It got me thinking about how much my life IS my time. So my resignation letter is submitted, decision made, leap of faith taken, and I then decide to travel to New Hampshire for a fire walking ceremony with a couple of co-worker friends. I was originally going to be my friend’s “emotional support human”, and wasn’t going to do the fire walk. But I made a game time decision, and boy am I glad I did.

It.

was.

TRANSFORMATIVE.

The week following the fire walking ceremony I attended a writing retreat that I decided to go on months before (Substack post about that writing retreat is linked here). In the event that you’re needing a sign or green flag for an area of your life where you're looking to invest in yourself, DO IT! Here’s your sign.

The days following the writing retreat were really really WILD. I wasn’t hungry. I was only sleeping 3-5 hours a night, yet never felt more alive. I knew it wasn’t sustainable and that the best thing to do was ride this wave before it crested.

One morning I woke up a little before 5am (which I never do) and wrote and recorded this song all before 7am. A level of prolificness, I’ve yet to experience since.

It just tumbled out. Part inspired by a crush I had at the time, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and by my pile of clothes to sew that I kept feeling like I didn’t have the time to do.

I hope you enjoy it, and that it resonates ~

“Open Seams”

Whatever you want darling
You can have it any old way
But I'm not gonna make you go starving
Just like the way you won't make me beg


Reclaiming old dreams
Stitchin up open seams
Now that I'm reclaiming my time


Whatever you say sweetheart
It's all about this new day
And I'm not gonna let anything distract me
Or get in the way
So here goes everything

I've been working towards
Building bridges, letting go of all I think I know
Told my fear we're getting divorced


Reclaiming old dreams
Stitchin up open seams
Now that I'm reclaiming my time