Arts & Entertainment
‘Conflicted:’ a love / hate relationship with winter
Published
2 years agoon
By Tucker Harris
BIG SKY – For poet Tom Vandel, Montana is both home and inspiration. A Billings native, he attended the University of Montana, and now splits his time between Big Sky and Portland, Oregon.
Vandel is currently working on a collection of his poems that will be published in the fall of 2022. The collection will center around the theme “On the road home,” Vandel said. This theme stems from “The Wizard of Oz” and Elton John’s album “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”—two very influential works for Vandel.
His poems focus on figuring out how to get home again and are based on nostalgic stories from his youth alongside more current stories from his life. Vandel makes a point to write simple poems that are accessible to many different readers, he said.
“Conflicted” centers around Vandel’s love/hate relationship with winter and, more specifically, snow. In a witty reflection, he finished writing “Conflicted” while looking out of his Glacier condo window in March this year at the snow blanketing his porch. On one hand, nature can be cruel, doing whatever it wants to, Vandel said. But on the other hand, he appreciates the beauty and quiet that comes with it.
As this latest snowstorm continues to dump, there are some folks who are ready for the snow to melt while others are not ready to let go of the winter season and the magic it creates in a ski town. It truly can be a love/hate relationship.
Conflicted
By Tom Vandel
She arrived late last night, again.
Out of the blue. No word she was coming.
No call, no text saying, hey, can I drop by and see you?
Just showed up unannounced. I found her when
I woke this morn and spotted her white
fur coat, tossed next to the door.
It gave me a chill.
You’d think
I’d be
used to
it by now.
We’ve had our
issues over the years.
She’s the reason my toes are
always cold. It was due to her
the little buggers got frostbit when
I was twelve years old. When I stuck my feet
in a tub of hot water and bawled in agony, she turned
a cold shoulder. Her uncaring nature irks me to no end.
Still, we often enjoy being together.
She can get down and hit the
town hard. And then,
she can also be
extremely
quiet.
Not full
of herself,
like Spring or Summer.
And oh my god, she can be so
sublimely beautiful it takes my breath away.
But rude, ya know?
To be honest,
I’m never
sorry to
see her
go.
Visit tomvandel.substack.com/ to read more of Tomorrow Vandel’s poems and writings.
Tom Vandel is a writer living in Portland, Oregon and Big Sky, Montana. He is author of four books. His latest is a collection of short stories titled “The Broken World”. Prior to that he wrote and published “A Killer Story”, a crime noir novel with memoir undertones that takes place in New Orleans, Portland, and Montana. He has also collaborated with artist, Karen Wippich, on two art books. One is based on the Covid-19 pandemic, “Strange Days: A Pandemic Journey”. An earlier release, “Driving Strangers: Diary of an Uber Driver”, features the author’s snarky musings of driving for Uber, matched with the artist’s warped profile images from her various paintings.
Tucker Harris is the Marketing and Events Coordinator at Outlaw Partners.
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February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
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15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
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Verge Theater
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
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March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
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Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
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Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass St. Joseph Catholic Mission
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Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
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(Thursday) 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm