TRIGGERS (AN AFTERNOON DRIVE THROUGH DRY COUNTRY IN TWO STATES).

My friend Glenn,
Grew up in Post Falls Idaho, population thirty thousand.
Heart attack, 60s.
Can’t drive through without thinking of him.

My friend Ben,
Passing through Ritzville Washington, population sixteen hundred.
Car crash, 30s.
Can’t drive through without thinking of him.

My friend Rachel,
Endless rolling Washington wheat fields; popuIation unknown, I got James cranked.
Moved away, 40s.
Can’t drive through and listen without thinking of her.

Dry wheat fields,
they’re itching my eyes.
They’re all gone.

EPILOGUE.

My friend _____,
Leaving soon.
___ ______ ____ ____
____ _____ ________

My eyes, my heart.

DAYS OF RAIN.

days of sun and rain
days of dark and pain
always mountains to climb
never knowing heights others have to scale

every adult I see facing enormous challenges,
I imagine them as children once.
children who should have possibilities and adventures
and tools and support for the tough ascents

my heart is ever sad for those with seemingly unscalable mountains,
and I want to race back in a time machine and figure out what will help them get through
and over
and around the tough ranges.

one thing I know; I know with so much certainty, is that I don't
imagine myself ever having regrets over
listening to too much music,
or
being kind one too many times to one too many persons.

I think it's tough to go overboard with those things.

____

Chris Cornell 1964-2017

FAREWELL, PORTLAND ADVENTIST ACADEMY.

http://paasda.org/news/goodbye-mr-long/

I say goodbye to a special place.

DO YOU REALISE MY GRANDMA NEVER EVEN MET MANUTE BOL??

I was a kid. Looking to play basketball with someone. Anyone. No one around. Then I spotted someone.

"Bring it, Grandma!" I ordered her. "Bring it!"

- "I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied disingenuously.

"Play me! One-on-one. Basketball. Right now."

(EXPOSITION: the most physical exertion I had seen her ever display up to that point was stretching dough out for apple pie with her rolling pin, or perhaps picking up her lawnchair and moving it two feet further away from the lake.)

"I don't know how to play,"

she lied. And then she said (and I am making this part up) - she said: Look! There's a wart hog behind you!

I looked behind me, and there was no wart hog, and in that split moment of misdirection, she snatched the ball, turned to the hoop, and with horrible form, launched it into the air, where it bravely, stupidly, sadly decided to drop through.

"That's not fair," I said.

She cackled. "I think I just beat you."

"Play me again," I ordered her.

She kept chuckling. "No, I'm done. I beat you."

"But Grandma, you cheated."

She smiled wisely, and looked very self-prideful, which is illegal in the Bible I think, and I vowed that someday I would defeat her.

I learned a lesson from her that day. A lesson about the importance of trickery, and using subterfuge and misdirection. Life lessons. Thanks Grandma Copperfield.

Every once in a while you match up your mood with the perfect accompanying score. In one sense, an album filled with stories about robots and valiant little fighting heroines have little to do with my Grandma, and are about as closely related as Gob Bluth and Manute Bol. In another sense, the Flaming Lips masterful concept album "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" has everything to do with my Grandma now, and is perfect. The wham-bam double existential punch of It's Summertime and Do You Realize?? is just what I need on this rainy day that ends a week filled with tears and reflection. And memories of the future, in which I plan to school her on the court. Also, I hope to have some good robot friends who will teach me ninja skills.

Sometime, I'll tell you about the time we played football.

On the Nose (Tribute to Gene Kelly & Debbie Reynolds)


The Flaming Lips
It's Summertime / Do You Realize??
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
2002

Maurice, We Miss You Already