Stuff I Saw on the Walk Home

I walked home from work on thursday. It was my last chance because of sadist Daylight Savings Time. I started at about 5:30 pm. The sun was just beginning to go down, and it was the fall light that gilds everything a soft gold. Twice I stopped in my tracks and laughed out loud because I saw something that delightful.

The first of these 2 sights was early in the walk. I was walking south from Indian School on Washington, up the hill. At a particular spot, I was facing a window that was reflecting a tree that was across the street from it. The leaves of tree had turned yellow, and the setting sun was full on the tree. The window was a sheet a flame.

Right as I turned north on Constitution, there was a yard that had a kind of decorative grass or something that sent up these spikes with big cottony puffs on the end. Again the setting sun was full on them. Otherworldly.

Those were the delightful bits. When I reached the bottom of the hill, where Constitution and Carisle intersect, I almost saw, mostly heard, a bicyclist hit by a car. I saw his motionless body lying in the intersection, the cars stopping, the people gathering, cell phones out. I didn't actually see the collision, and there was already a crowd and even a doctor, so I didn't stop.

As I left the sidewalk to cut behind the Walgreens towards the park where I take a break on this walk, I saw a single shoe in the median. I might scribble something about that.

Down with Daylight Savings Time

I hate Daylight Savings Time. Sure, that sunday morning in the fall when you get an extra hour sleep is sweet. Then it gets dark at 5:30 pm. And spring, lets not even talk losing an hour in spring. How can Indiana and Arizona be the only sane states about this?

Cool lyrics of the day

From Iron & Wine's song, "The Rooster Moans"

lift your head because you can't sleep
bite your lip because you can't eat
darkest den the devil made
Jesus weeps but he's been paid
not to ride inside this rusty train

Footwear for Dancing on the Head of a Pin

We dance on the head of a pin, in our bare feet, or those pink, plastic flip-flops with the white stars. Thoroughly modern, we have no muscle tone, no flaming sword. Terrible granduer is so Old Testament.

We no longer break the dance to wrestle demons, golden skin against scaly hide. They, also, are diminished. What proof our we against syndrome, or chemical imballance? We jig and reel and two-step across this metallic plain, without interuption.

Perhaps, like you, we need only an aromatic salt scrub to shed our skin and be reborn a bright thing (but not too bright), and a yoga mat to revive once mighty thews, and an IRA to toss off the yoke of eternal service.

Till then we dance our unchanging dance with outworn formaility, though no one wonders, anymore, how many of us there are.


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Author's comments: It amuses me. I'm not sure about the second paragraph. It might be weak. Should it be re-written? Cut entirely?

Scribbling

On and off, I have done some scribbling for fun. Well, sometimes it wasn't for fun. I had delusions of granduer. Lately I've been getting into it again, for fun. I think I'll post some here. Sometimes stuff in progress.

Here is a little thing I'm fond of. I'm not sure whether it should be past or present tense.

Past tense tints it as a memory, maybe colors it with nostalgia.

You stood in a puddle, temporary mirror,
and were startled by your own beauty.
Birds waded by your ankles. When the wind carried away your hat,
you let it go, sailing into another life.

Present tense makes it more vigorous and vital:

You stand in a puddle, temporary mirror,
and are startled by your own beauty.
Birds wade by your ankles. When the wind carries away your hat,
you let it go, sailing into another life.


Interesting that the change in tense doesn't change the words in the last line, but has this significant change in its shades of meaning.

The movie "Serenity"

If you like westerns in space, including opening bank robbery, six
shooters, anti-heros, chases, gun play, and revenge, and you think humor, martial arts and pretty people tossed in are OK, you will like "Serenity."

You know I'm a cult fan, so from a neutral and respectd critic, Ebert:

"I'm not sure the movie would have much appeal for non-sci-fi fans, but it has the rough edges and brawny energy of a good yarn, and it was made by and for people who can't get enough of this stuff. You know who you are."

I've seen it twice, and the two viewings were very different. The first time, much as you try to suspend your expectations, it was all about how true a continuation of the series it was. That is a very different way to see it than someone who has not seen the series. Also, the characters have a rough time, and frankly I care about these characters more than many actual people I know, so it was harrowing. We had planned to see it twice friday, but it was too intense.

Went back saturday. This time it was much more about the movie. It's damn good. I liked this line from a review:

"If you think the "Star Wars" prequels are a disease, then Serenity is the
cure."