Harmony in Red

Red Poppy


That linkage of warnings sent a tremor through June
as if to prepare October in the hardest apples.
One week in late July we held hands
through the bars of his hospital bed. Our sleep
made a canopy over us and it seemed I heard
its durable roaring in the companion sleep
of what must have been our Bedouin god, and now
when the poppy lets go I know it is to lay bare
his thickly seeded black coach
at the pinnacle of dying.

My shaggy ponies heard the shallow snapping of silk
but grazed on down the hillside, their prayer flags
tearing at the void-what we
stared into, its cool flux
of blue and white. How just shaking at flies
they sprinkled the air with the soft unconscious praise
of bells braided into their manes. My life

simplified to "for him" and his thinned like an injection
wearing off so the real gave way to
the more-than-real, each moment's carmine
abundance, furl of reddest petals
lifted from the stalk and no hint of the black
hussar's hat at the center. By then his breathing stopped
so gradually I had to brush lips to know
an ending. Tasting then that plush of scarlet
which is the last of warmth, kissless kiss
he would have given. Mine to extend a lover's right past its radius,
to give and also most needfully, my gallant hussar,
to bend and take.

Tess Gallagher

Leda And The Swan

Rain

A nice slow, soft rain has been falling
all day. I am so happy. It has been so dry
and hot here.

Going to cook tortellini soup tonight.
I vary it every time. This time I am
using chicken and prosciutto tortelloni
in the soup, so I won't be adding any other meat.

Going to saute in olive oil fresh garlic, sliced
(as I love garlic and want more than minced
in my foods), one yellow onion, chopped,
two stalks of celery, finely chopped,
and one sweet potato chopped. After
the garlic and onion become translucent,
I am going to deglaze the pan with some
chicken stock and let that simmer a bit.

Then I am going to add about 8 cups
chicken stock, 10 oz of beef stock,
garbanzo beans, and thyme.

I'll let that cook until the sweet potatoes
get tender and then add fresh kale, thinly
sliced. Just before serving, I'll add the
tortellino and fresh basil, thinly sliced.

About five minutes before I serve it,
I am adding some heavy cream--about
1/2 cup. Lots of healthy things in there
and just a little cream, so it should be good.
I top it with some freshly grated
parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

I am thinking I'll slice the French bread,
brush on some olive oil and then add
some kosher salt and thinly sliced
garlic. I love it when the garlic is added
to the top and you get that burst of fresh,
hot garlic taste.

Good day for soup.

*

Tomorrow, I am on the road to go see
my grandson. I am going to keep him
tomorrow night while his mom and dad
go out to eat. I can't wait to see him!

Going to stay the weekend and hang out
with a friend Saturday night.

*

I am stoked about my phone call yesterday.
An interview--finally. Even if I don't get the job,
I am excited about someone giving me an
opportunity, but I really hope I get it.

It's a Court Designated Worker position
and I would be working with juveniles
in trouble. Part-time, but that would work.

*

Went to Lowe's today to get a new ceiling
fan for my kitchen. I turned the light on
last week and flames shot out of the old
one. Scared the hell outta me. So, I got a
new one, which I was planning to do anyway
to better match the kitchen renovation.

*

Read some Bishop today. Not sure how much
I like the work, but I appreciate the mind.
She was one sharp cookie.

Sensible Shoes

It's senior day at Kroger today.

All these little, old people in their
sensible shoes there to get their 10%
discount.

I wonder if I'll ever be one
of them. Barring any accident, I wonder
if I have what it takes to stick it out,
day after day, when your body hurts
and you can't think straight about
anything.

It makes me smile to see them,
and it makes me sad. I miss my grandmother
and many older people I have lost.

*

Had Coq au Vin Blanc last night with roasted
asparagus, wild rice, and a boule bread.

Tonight, I am cooking an Italian roast beef
dish. The beef is in the oven now. Rubbed it
with kosher salt, pepper, onion powder, and
crushed thyme. Cut slits in it and packed
whole garlic cloves in them. Then I browned
it in olive oil.

Removed it from the pan and sauteed
onion and peppers in the drippings.
Deglazed the pan with some red wine,
then added some chicken stock and beef
broth. Then sprinkled a package of
Italian dressing mix in it. Added the beef
back and put it in the oven at 300.

Smells good. Going to have a salad,
fettucine with pesto sauce, and more boule.

Can't seem to motivate myself to do much
else, so I am glad I am cooking.

*

Got my books in the mail and started with
Elizabeth Bishop: The Complete Poems
1927-1979.

Also got Mark Strand's Blizzard of One,
James Wright's Above The River: The Complete
Poems, and Charles Simic's The Voice at 3:00 a.m.

Hard for me to concentrate but am enjoying what
I am reading.

*

Molly knocked my feet out from under me last
Friday. I fell hard onto the asphalt. Good thing
I didn't put my hands down to catch myself--probably
would have broken my wrists. Good thing I have
all that padding on my rear end too. It was one
of those times when you feel thankful you have
some meat on your bones. Cushioned the fall a bit.

As it is, it is getting harder to sleep at night.

I hurt.

My fingers hurt. My left elbow hurts.
My right hip hurts and no matter how I
turn or toss, there is no way
I can sleep that's comforable.

I have little stabbing pains in my left knee
all night long. I feel certain someone has my
voodoo doll out and is sticking me all over
with pins.

Probably arthritis. Seems to improve when I am
walking, so I am still walking nearly every day.
At least 25 minutes. Sometimes 45 minutes.

*

Overcast today. I hope we get some rain.

I want to feel like this:

Jeff Tweedy Sunken Treasure

One of my favorite Wilco songs...going to see them at the end of the month...taking my son and his friend...don't know how to describe the way I feel about my son liking them...people I like...music I like...that we both like them...that we are going together...kids grow up so quickly...