Kenny Rogers and the First Edition - Something's Burning

Shimmying Beneath the Pines

Kate’s mother was sure we were destined
to be juvenile delinquents, blasting the Archies
through the pines in the back yard, rock and roll
our demise, but oh how our bodies shined then,
shined and moved and loved every minute
of being a Sugar, Sugar. How were we to know
that songs like that denigrated our womanhood,
made us these subservient creatures incapable
of plotting our own course? Predictions being
what they are, Kate and her boyfriend stole
a taxi and drove it to Baltimore. Underage
and with no prior convictions in juvenile
court, they got by with probation, and I moved
away to a city where everyone enunciated
words to the point that I wanted to pull
out their damn tongues and cut off an inch
or two, as if that would make them sound the same
as the world I left, a universe all its own, tidal pools
and fossil pits, the breaking waves nearing ever closer
to the Norwegian woman, the gathering place
for my mother and her friends, who wore short skirts
and hot pants, that place where I saw my first and only solar
eclipse, the crowd gathered looking through negatives,
the imprint of memory still on my cornea all these years
later. And I miss those people and those days, the narrow
margin that divided me between delinquency and abuse
not enough to offer comfort, and I wonder what's become
of Kate and my mother's hot pants friends, in their
sixties and seventies now, and I wish I still had that need
to peer into the shallow waters of a tidal pool, like I did
at twelve, curious about the earth and life, animated
and progressive, filled with questions, not this disenchanted
woman who doesn't realize often enough that it's not
the answers that matter, it's the questions.

Tommy James And The Shondells - Crimson And Clover (1969)

makes me think of being a young girl, extension cord running from my bedroom window, my turntable sitting on the lawn, me stretched out on my back, listening to this over and over, all that clover beneath my young, strong body...

Don Mclean - empty chairs

Simon and Garfunkel - Old Friends

Old Friends

Sherry came by last night. First time she's been
by since Dad died two years ago. It was really good
to see her. She is such a voice of wisdom, and patience,
and kindness. She immediately makes me feel calm.

I remember when we first met. 1973. February or March.
She was the high-jumper on the track team. I ran the 880
and mile run. We spent so many days and nights together,
but then she married and moved away and then came back
home with her son, after splitting with her husband. She
went to school and received her RN degree, got remarried,
had another child and has been working as a home health nurse
for a number of years. Her schedule is insane--60 hours a week or so.

I was happy that she saw my car and decided to pull in the
driveway. I never left this town, and many of my former
high school friends are still here, but we rarely see one
another. The closest high school friend I have lives
in Birmingham, so it's hard for us to get to spend time
together, but we talk on the phone often.

Oh, old friends. How they do know so much about us,
but if they haven't been with us for a long time, how
little they know in other ways. I just know she made
my evening and we made some promises to try to stay
in touch and be together more often.

***********************

Have not looked over any Laux poems. Need to get my
rear in gear, but been kinda low-key today. Took Molly
for a two mile walk (oh the joys of walking Molly when
there are distractions! Several people were walking at
the track this morning and she tried to jump on all of them--
she has this idea that everyone wants to love on her--good
thing I have the pinch collar or I would not have been able
to control her), came home and finished planting the vinca
and impatiens. Talked to my neighbor and walked around
her yard with her to look at all the beautiful plant life--she
works so hard in that yard and it shows! Did a few loads
of clothes, washed dished, blah blah blah.

**********************************

Tonight:

Teriyaki burgers with mushrooms and swiss cheese
Spicy fries
Fruit

****************************

Terrible news about Myanmar--perhaps 200,000
people dead. Hard to conceive. Entire generations of people
gone. Just gone. What a joy it is to watch the news.

*****************************

I think my bed is calling me. I rarely nap, but I am just so
sleepy. Maybe I'll just read for a little while. Find my Laux
books and make some decisions.

Tubthumping (I Get Knocked Down) Lyrics

The Star Wars/Spaceballs version...I love it, but I'm weird.