Systems of Support
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Hello friends, Believe it or not—and despite the first paragraph—below are more thoughts about hope… As one Gregorian calendar year draws to a close, many of us are gazing into a highly volatile, uncertain future. The US economy seems to teeter on a precipice. With scant oversight and terrified or deported workers, our food supply is both compromised and costly. Environmental regulations are gutted. Families are rent apart. Too many people live in fear of what the next day will offer. This brings me to a photo I took recently, of a great stone gate with a might tree behind. The sandstone arch is built on strong, moss festooned pediments. The tree looks equally strong, having weathered many years. The arch gate is dirty with the patina of time, a testament to its longevity. We are like that tree, this gate. We have weathered much, and will weather more to come. Like the pediments holding up the arch, we are supported and we offer support, in turn. So, as this year comes to an end, it’s a good time to look at our systems of support. What supports your life right now? Is it a community network? A spiritual group? Family? Close friends? Steady work? Nourishing food? Laughter? Music? Art? Rest? Take some time and ponder the answer to that question. It’s important. We’re all going to need more support in the coming days, and it is easier to welcome that support if we know what we’re looking for. Next, how are you supporting others right now? Are you sharing resources, talents, or skills? Are you engaged in community defense or uplift? Are you making art or baking bread? Do you lighten other’s loads in ways either large or small? Are you making food, preparing hygiene kits, or offering rides, or a listening ear? There are hundreds of ways to offer support. Take some time to examine all the ways you currently help out, and brainstorm ways you might expand this offering, if possible. As long as we have the support of each other, we’ve got this. Some days that may feel hard to believe, but even in times of great fear, my heart clings to this sense of hope. Wishing you warmth, safety, love, prosperity, and support in the coming year. Best wishes — Thorn
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T. Thorn Coyle
Hello friends, The great writer Octavia Butler once replied to a student asking about ending the world’s suffering, “There’s no single answer that will solve all of our future problems. There’s no magic bullet. Instead there are thousands of answers—at least. You can be one of them if you choose to be.” Often hailed as a prophet for her science fiction works, Butler insisted that she simply studied history and extrapolated a possible future from that—often recent—past. Many of us saw the...
Hello friends, This is a rare extra email! I wanted to let you fantasy lovers know that there's a huge book blast of .99 fantasy romance novels today! Here's a list: FaRoSociety/Bookblast. We Seek No Kings, my epic fantasy with motorcycles, dragons, and swords is .99 today (and the rest of this month) on all retailers. You can also buy the discounted fantasy trilogy at thorncoylebooks.com. be well - Thorn
Hello friends, February 1st is the Feast of Brigid in many traditions. Brigid was both a saint who helped the people and the Goddess of poetry, healing, and the forge. I have honored her for decades, as a patron both of my writing, music, and my activism. This weekend, I call upon Brigid's presence to heal hurting communities, and to strengthen those trying their best to help. Below is a poem I first wrote in 2015 and updated in 2025 (by changing one word). I offer this poem to you once...