begin

begin

it is day zero
and i am trying to hear the insects

a horizon is not distance
but a place becoming

when i was thirsty
i knew what to do
now that i am here
what signs am i to expect?
now that i am here
how will i arrive?
again i listen for the insects
where is their tongue
and do we know how to meet?

it is day zero
perhaps i need a creed

it is the cool underside of stones
it is the talk between water bugs
on the surface of the drainage ditch
it is my cheekbones that hunger
for the itch of spruce
and the shadow of your hand

righteous

i'm making some vegan gravy and rocking out to sweet child o' mine. yeah!

...in bed

I was having a shitty afternoon and evening. I finally left the house and biked a bit in the dark and felt so much better. I was reminded of being outside, walking down sidewalks, during college and feeling very much alive. I remember leaving a building on campus after an evening class and walking under the old trees; everything felt large and expansive and possible and unknown.

This bike ride was just a little bit like that.

And now I am home and drinking a beer after eating beans and toast. Am I in the Britain?

And I remember something that I read that a musician said after a motorcycle accident--something about how if he hurt his hands, he'd figure out something else to do.

Maybe that's in some fortune cookie in another world. In much more eloquent prose, of course.

drinking in fall

It's been a great weekend--well, I guess it's Monday now, and no longer the weekend--but it was really excellent. Jen and I were able to spend a lot of time together, we had fun with some friends, ate some great meals, went to a free wind symphony concert, and a lot of books-to-prisoners stuff got done.

I went swimming today and it really felt good. Now it's afternoon and a cool autumn day. Perfect for flannels and hooded sweatshirts.

I was in Pittsburgh a little more than a week ago for resistance to the G20 summit. Did you hear anything about that? I'm guessing there wasn't much national coverage of it. I've been to mass mobilizations before; a common criticism is that resistance/protests are practically scripted and end up being a drain on the local communities which, afterward, often end up having to deal with increased police repression. Well, this particular mass mobilization really felt different. I'm not going to get into it here, but it felt like a success. There are several narratives that can be found elsewhere if folks are interested in reading about what happened (like here, for example).

Are people excited about the changing seasons? Anyone? It's nice weather for coffee and beer and hot cider. Maybe even all in the same sitting.