David Given Schwarm

Married, Father, United

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, Journey to Heaven

Do we forgive our neighbors their trespasses? God also forgives us in His mercy. Do we refuse to forgive? God, too, will refuse to forgive us. As we treat our neighbors, so also does God treat us. The forgiveness, then, of your sins or unforgiveness, and hence also your salvation or destruction, depend on you…
Leaf Yoga

his is this leaffallen–like Gandhi and the blissful motherwith the mute husbandcalling other men dad. Outside the pool gatestill counting theout breath, slowly. Brown brittle chasteand cold on the sidewalk. The leaf does notcreate its own enthusiasm, it isshaken by the wind. I am not the leaf–biodegradable martyrof the ecosystem. Stirred by antsmistaken byCandi at…
29. Tao’s Path

The path of Tao returns to Tao.By yielding it moves.Emerging out of emptiness,Tao return to emptiness.
A Sonnet

My love is pregnantAnd wears yoga pantsWhen it rains on our suburban streetsAnd at the ChristmasTree lot she shops For Trees for the kidsTb be flocked in blue and whiteMy love understands tiredAnd knows the urge to slackOn the couch, with TV on And I knowAll is well.
Reward Time

Holy cow. Either you finished writing yesterday, or you’re going to wrap things up tonight. If you do cross the 50,000-word finish line, please be sure to retrieve the Badge of the Triumphant Wordsmith, and in a solemn ceremony, attach it your chest. Then, run whooping and screaming to deliver the news of your amazing…
Returning to Earth

One of the hardest parts about writing a 30-day novel is knowing what to do with yourself after it ends. Studies have shown that both men and women can suffer from postpartum depression after the birth of their child, and you shouldn’t be too surprised if you come down with a touch of the blues…
Beowulf

I saw this with David. We saw the 10:00 PM show at the spectrum. We saw it in IMAX 3-D. It was excellent. The story was great, the effects were awesome, the christian subtext was well presented. The film was very violent. There was a lot of gore and general creepiness. Th liked the magic…
No Country For Lost Men

I saw this with Raj, Paul, David, Robert, and Steadman. We saw the 2:00 PM University showing. It was great. It is very violent and one of the main characters is a very crazy sociopathic serial killer. The narrator is killed in the first scene, or is omniscient, which I doubt. The notion of genetics…
Landing the Craft

Once I was on a plane, smooshing my forehead against the window, watching farmlands pass in a slow-motion scroll beneath me. I was willing the plane to go faster, eager to get home, when another passenger jet shot through the airspace elow, rocketing in the opposite direction at an unbelievable speed. It took me a…
Gilding the Invisible

When it comes to ornamentation on buildings, architects tend to give up after creating the first story. The truth is, no matter ho much work they put into decorating upper floors’ facades, people just don’t notice things higher than 10 feet. (this is also the reason that towering warehouse shops like Costco or Wal-Mart don’t…