Tears silently welled momentarily as I heard the lyrics of Highwayman and (I think) fully grokked the meaning. After this go a single drop of rain seems appropriate. Hopefully on some unpolluted planet. I image myself as that drop, falling, collecting with others of my kind, passing through the gills of a bright-sided trout, giving up a little oxygen love for the trout, and then finding my ocean.
It’s approaching mid-February in southern Arizona and as (almost violent) winds blow into history the morning fires in my fireplace along with the chilly mornings that mandated them there comes now the melodic and varied song of the Curved Bill Thrasher. Yin, yang
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I got a coveted “Fuck You” from my brother this morning, we compete for them from each other. This one was earned after days of my telling him about morning coffee outside in the sun, listening to that Thrasher while he suffers under sub-freezing temperatures near the small town in Oregon where we grew up. We made the motions of growing up anyway. Anyone outside of our two-person clique would think they were listening to children, what with topics approaching the predictability of poo poo and pee pee. That’s an exaggeration for effect of course. We get deep, real deep sometimes. We get deep in ways that will stay between us, our secrets. But then we skim over the top of those mineshafts of speculation like the water-skippers used to skim over the pond in which we both learned to swim. I bet the Gerridae are the real Jesuses, walking on water and all. Somehow the mines never caved in on us and I now have the relationship with him that I’ve always wanted.
I can’t mention my brother and our upbringing without thinking also about my sis. Like with my brother, we’ve had our disappointments with each other but there remains what is probably my favorite all-time memory. Her holding my hand and running across our big pasture, my feet barely touching the ground. Not sure I’ve ever felt freer or happier. What times and funny how both sibling thoughts touch upon skipping lightly over stuff. I’m laughing a healthy laugh.
We siblings say to each other, “when we rule the world, things will be ok.”
Good segue to another brief tack, I’m sick and tired of the blatant coercion coming from both “sides” and especially the sock puppets that buy into and share that shit like Chicken Little. As if whining and tattling ever solved anything. People are talking about oligarchy in the US as if it were some recent revelation. Hell, it was apparent to some well before 2014 when Princeton University Prof Martin Gilens and Northwestern University Prof Benjamin I Page published a paper concluding that the US is dominated by a rich and powerful elite. Nothing here to see, move along. So anyway, let that shit go! Yep, you.
I ran into this pic recently and had to share it. I’m pretty sure there’s a lesson here, if you’re ready for it.
Gary, this brings back fond memories of my childhood and how the relationships with my siblings has endured. I have so many favorite memories....who will know of them when I'm gone. Take care, friend, Jeannie
I too am annoyed by the useless memes bouncing back and forth to further divide people rather than unite, and I agree that the US has been dominated by the rich and powerful elite, one of which I know you admire, however those elite have assumed power by overriding the checks and balances that do provide some sort of protection to our environment, and constitutional rights. But whining and tattling? Just let it go? I'm sorry, I will speak out, write and call house representatives and senators. I could not look into the eyes of my grandchild knowing that I just moved along and became complicit. Perhaps it is because women mostly take the brunt of struggles, like the Latina women who spoke up and stood up by taking to the streets when THIS country's elite imposed intended shock on their socialist systems in order to privatize and rape labor and resources! This is what they are doing right now in this country! I suggest to anyone who cares call senators and reps, flood the lines, speak out!