BASKING IN THE DUSK OF MAN

Well.  It’s your boy, burning down shag and drinking truck-stop coffee with a tuxedo stray at dawn.  I guess you could say I intermittently fast—if you consider last meal at 7PM and smoking cigs through the morning fasting.  Whatever it is it’s not good and I feel death these days more than ever.  Like any alcoholic I help usher her in—with cigarettes and coffee, worry, lust and anxiety and all the foul humors afforded me being born working class in the final century.  Who cares?  Well, I do, goddamnit and much to my chagrin, too.  I thought by not caring it wouldn’t matter where I ended up in life.  I was wrong and now I’m here.  The present moment feels as impossible as ever, except I’ve less reserves to stave it off and less time to try and find a way to feel better.  The bright side is I’m game for trying.  I could never see past my own pain or even the age of 30 for that matter, but now that I’m 47 I’m awash with gratitude and possibly living in what Raymond Carver called the gravy age.
—OATMILK&COLD INSTANT: Part 28

Thank you for reading me.  In 2023 I will be making strides to stay connected with you, beyond the internet and heart-to-heart. Sign up for my poem of the week so we can stay connected, cut through the algorithms of corporately-curated media and be together. Devote time to resting your body and redoubling your heart next year, and discover the life-changing benefits of practicing Yoga.  This 6-week series will arm you with a daily practice that can be taken anywhere, that can serve as a port and refuge for you to get centered and calm.  I am happy to offer the course at 3 different price points as well as at a discounted rate for groups of more than 1.  We’ve had a rough go of it but I am ready to reclaim this world and am called to serve you, Good Reader.  May the Year of Rabbit bring you great fortune and happiness. Namaste (I see the light in you that I know is in me), TRAINER AUSTIN TX To enroll in Darkling Yoga, Jim Trainer’s 6-week introduction to Yoga, go here.

𝑆𝑈𝑃𝑃𝑂𝑅𝑇 𝐽𝐼𝑀 𝑇𝑅𝐴𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑅’𝑆 𝑃𝐸𝑅𝑆𝑂𝑁𝐴𝐿 𝐽𝑂𝑈𝑅𝑁𝐴𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑀 𝑊𝐼𝑇𝐻 𝐴𝐶𝐶𝐸𝑆𝑆 𝑇𝑂 𝐿𝐼𝑉𝐸 𝑅𝐸𝐴𝐷𝐼𝑁𝐺𝑆 𝑂𝐹 𝑃𝑂𝐸𝑇𝑅𝑌 𝐴𝑁𝐷 𝑆𝑂𝑁𝐺𝑆, 2 𝑃𝑂𝐸𝑀𝑆 𝐴 𝑀𝑂𝑁𝑇𝐻, 𝐿𝐸𝑇𝑇𝐸𝑅𝑆 𝐴𝑁𝐷 𝐴 𝑊𝐸𝐸𝐾𝐿𝑌 𝐶𝑂𝐿𝑈𝑀𝑁

𝑆𝑈𝐵𝑆𝐶𝑅𝐼𝐵𝐸 𝑇𝑂 𝐽𝐼𝑀 𝑇𝑅𝐴𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑅’𝑆 𝑃𝑂𝐸𝑀 𝑂𝐹 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐸𝐸𝐾

𝑆𝑇𝑅𝐼𝐷𝐸, 𝐽𝐼𝑀 𝑇𝑅𝐴𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑅’𝑆 8𝑇𝐻 𝐹𝑈𝐿𝐿-𝐿𝐸𝑁𝐺𝑇𝐻 𝐶𝑂𝐿𝐿𝐸𝐶𝑇𝐼𝑂𝑁 𝑂𝐹 𝑃𝑂𝐸𝑇𝑅𝑌, 𝑁𝑂𝑊 𝐴𝑉𝐴𝐼𝐿𝐴𝐵𝐿𝐸 𝐴𝑇 𝐽𝐼𝑀𝑇𝑅𝐴𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑅.𝑁𝐸𝑇

DARKLING YOGA

POET AND YOGI JIM TRAINER OFFERING A 6-WEEK BEGINNER YOGA SERIES

After my first yoga class I felt comfortable in my own skin. It was a feeling that had eluded me for over 20 years. Through the practice of Yoga, I soon began to take root in an otherwise unsettled and restless life. I found sobriety through the practice, and discovered that alcohol and substance abuse were a symptom of mental health issues I’d been suffering with since the age of 15.

I achieved my 200-hour RYA certification under the guidance of Gioconda Parker in 2012. I taught privately, and in corporate environments throughout the city, and was happy to maintain an ancillary yoga-teaching career and daily practice. But now I am called back to Yoga as I was called to it in that first class. Familiar mental health challenges, and physical health concerns of middle age, are prompting me to lead a more mindful and spiritual life. I have been pleased to again discover that the spiritual practice of Yoga is in fact physical. The goal of Yoga, despite its external appearance and fashion in the western world, is to be able to sit in meditation.

I am happy to now offer a 6-week introduction to Yoga and breath. This series is for anyone seeking the restful state and focused mind that can be achieved through the practice of Yoga. After completing this program practitioners will have a simple daily practice that can be taken anywhere—and that can serve as a port and refuge to get centered and calm.

Jim Trainer will offer a 6-week Beginner Yoga Workshop, starting on Monday, January 23. To enroll, fill out this form.

BEHIND EVERY BEAUTIFUL THING THERE’S BEEN SOME KIND OF PAIN

The sun was setting as I pulled out. It was November and it was cold and monumental. I put on Time Out Of Mind and it was like every word was sung for me. I couldn’t remember being so depressed. Struck instantly with a horrible twin realization—surprised I’m alive on account of how bad I felt.
—from OATMILK&COLD INSTANT

𝑆𝑈𝑃𝑃𝑂𝑅𝑇 𝐽𝐼𝑀 𝑇𝑅𝐴𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑅’𝑆 𝑃𝐸𝑅𝑆𝑂𝑁𝐴𝐿 𝐽𝑂𝑈𝑅𝑁𝐴𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑀 𝑊𝐼𝑇𝐻 𝐴𝐶𝐶𝐸𝑆𝑆 𝑇𝑂 𝐿𝐼𝑉𝐸 𝑅𝐸𝐴𝐷𝐼𝑁𝐺𝑆 𝑂𝐹 𝑃𝑂𝐸𝑇𝑅𝑌 𝐴𝑁𝐷 𝑆𝑂𝑁𝐺𝑆, 2 𝑃𝑂𝐸𝑀𝑆 𝐴 𝑀𝑂𝑁𝑇𝐻, 𝐿𝐸𝑇𝑇𝐸𝑅𝑆 𝐴𝑁𝐷 𝐴 𝑊𝐸𝐸𝐾𝐿𝑌 𝐶𝑂𝐿𝑈𝑀𝑁

𝑆𝑈𝐵𝑆𝐶𝑅𝐼𝐵𝐸 𝑇𝑂 𝐽𝐼𝑀 𝑇𝑅𝐴𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑅’𝑆 𝑃𝑂𝐸𝑀 𝑂𝐹 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐸𝐸𝐾

𝑆𝑇𝑅𝐼𝐷𝐸, 𝐽𝐼𝑀 𝑇𝑅𝐴𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑅’𝑆 8𝑇𝐻 𝐹𝑈𝐿𝐿-𝐿𝐸𝑁𝐺𝑇𝐻 𝐶𝑂𝐿𝐿𝐸𝐶𝑇𝐼𝑂𝑁 𝑂𝐹 𝑃𝑂𝐸𝑇𝑅𝑌, 𝑁𝑂𝑊 𝐴𝑉𝐴𝐼𝐿𝐴𝐵𝐿𝐸 𝐴𝑇 𝐽𝐼𝑀𝑇𝑅𝐴𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑅.𝑁𝐸𝑇

from All in the wind

MEMO FROM THE CREMATORIUM DESK

fate
I was never into it
and 
everything “happening for a reason”
was worse
I judged God by his followers
and got away from that scene fast
over the years I’ve sunk
into a nihilist’s dream and
up here, in the high rooms
there’s no science, no politick
no school or love or faith
that can save me,
I’m fated to easy afternoons 
by myself typing and
it’s fine with me, 
more than fine, really

the world seems mired, cold and distant
at war with itself
things have only gotten brighter
for me, the littlest bit, over the years
but that’s enough

a nihilist doesn’t need much to get by
and a faithless poet’s got nothing but time
—from All in the wind

Join us this Sunday for THE MACK IS BACK, Celebrating Women’s Voices In Poetry.

with
Christia Madacsi Hoffman
Jim Trainer
and Aimée Mackovic

Sunday December 11
at Batch
3220 Manor Road
Austin, Texas 78723
1:30PM CT

RSVP AT QR CODE BELOW

𝑆𝑈𝐵𝑆𝐶𝑅𝐼𝐵𝐸 𝑇𝑂 𝐽𝐼𝑀 𝑇𝑅𝐴𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑅’𝑆 𝑃𝑂𝐸𝑀 𝑂𝐹 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐸𝐸𝐾

𝑆𝑇𝑅𝐼𝐷𝐸, 𝐽𝐼𝑀 𝑇𝑅𝐴𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑅’𝑆 8𝑇𝐻 𝐹𝑈𝐿𝐿-𝐿𝐸𝑁𝐺𝑇𝐻 𝐶𝑂𝐿𝐿𝐸𝐶𝑇𝐼𝑂𝑁 𝑂𝐹 𝑃𝑂𝐸𝑇𝑅𝑌, 𝑁𝑂𝑊 𝐴𝑉𝐴𝐼𝐿𝐴𝐵𝐿𝐸 𝐴𝑇 𝐽𝐼𝑀𝑇𝑅𝐴𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑅.𝑁𝐸𝑇

𝑆𝑈𝑃𝑃𝑂𝑅𝑇 𝐽𝐼𝑀 𝑇𝑅𝐴𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑅’𝑆 𝑃𝐸𝑅𝑆𝑂𝑁𝐴𝐿 𝐽𝑂𝑈𝑅𝑁𝐴𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑀 𝑊𝐼𝑇𝐻 𝐴𝐶𝐶𝐸𝑆𝑆 𝑇𝑂 𝐿𝐼𝑉𝐸 𝑅𝐸𝐴𝐷𝐼𝑁𝐺𝑆 𝑂𝐹 𝑃𝑂𝐸𝑇𝑅𝑌 𝐴𝑁𝐷 𝑆𝑂𝑁𝐺𝑆, 2 𝑃𝑂𝐸𝑀𝑆 𝐴 𝑀𝑂𝑁𝑇𝐻, 𝐿𝐸𝑇𝑇𝐸𝑅𝑆 𝐴𝑁𝐷 𝐴 𝑊𝐸𝐸𝐾𝐿𝑌 𝐶𝑂𝐿𝑈𝑀𝑁