Day Off in a Rainy CinCity


A day off after two days dealing with the sequelae of bad brains. We have a few young-uns as patients right now; perhaps harder on the younger nurses and docs since it hits so close to their own ages. Bumps up against that shield of invincibility they carry. For those of us with more years under our belts and wrapped around our waistlines it's easy to see these young victims of fate as our own kids. Their parents are even generally younger than me--I was a late mom, or as the medical terminology states, a "geriatric pregnancy"(...and I heard Hollywood was tough)--and the desire to care for and work towards a child's,albeit 18 or 19 years old, survival is deeply imprinted. At some point as I got older it became easier to commune with families caught in the limbo environment of the ICU quite simply because I can easily imagine how it feels. There but for the grace of God, go I.


But, they're in someone else's hands today while I attempt to do something maternal for my own offspring--help HoneyHaired girl study for Spanish I, send $$$ to CollegeGirl and dutifully write down her suggestions for Christmas gifts. There must not be media input from the outside world at her university since it doesn't appear that she has heard of the "cratering" economy. Still need to clean out the attic closets, but much prefer to procrastinate on that. I have a week off coming up soon. That seems soon enough.


Hubby and I have dance lessons this afternoon. Ballroom dance. We met dancing at Moonlight Gardens at Old Coney though in the years between then and now have lost some of our fleet footwork.
perhaps more like...

I also joined a creative writing class at our newly opened community arts center and am working at revising my work up to now. The other members of the class are working on short stories and novels.I love reading and hearing them read their work, but am totally flabbergasted and envious they they have so many thoughts and words intheir heads. I must have had the method of writing used in charting so thoroughly ingrained into me that I try to distill all my thoughts into small concise pieces--like poetry.

Below is a revision of an earlier work from April 23,2008. See if it works any better for you. The instructor wanted the voice of the bombing victim to be clearer. One student thought the condolences seemed too pat. Those words were from an actual letter that I received, one that gave me great comfort because I knew the writer really knew my brother, so at this point I don't know how willing I am to change his words. We'll see. I can't go to class till next weekend since I work this Sat. and Sun. so there's plenty of time to revise, revise, revise.

Requiem for Two Voices

Zig-zagging with crowds that inhabit my mornings,
I am sorry to learn of Tom's death.
headlong in our daily commutes, grabbing
He and my father, an English teacher at Oak Hills, were
coffees and conversations to go
great friends. I remember his wit, vibrancy,
pell-mell, in and out of doorways, leaving trails of words in our wake.
and passion like it was yesterday.
Buses bellow, stop, and move on. Backpacks and bags push and crush,
I'm sorry for the loss
the sky splits open, an almighty bang, and silence.
of your fossil-collecting uncle, brother, and son.
Sidewalks bubble with breath as smoke and bodies fill my eyes.
My deepest condolences.

Comments

  1. I know that you are got lesbian, because you are going out with your husband to brush up on your fancy footwork. And, come to think of it, neither am I, what with Le Framéricain and all. However, can we get married if all of the other stuff falls through. I have a crush on you. I love you, if the truth be told. I never expected to find a heart breaker in Blahgdom but there you were and I'm a sucker for inspiring heart breakers.

    Great post, Distracted!

    The poem broke my heart. Thank you for that.

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  2. I'm so impressed with all that you do in your life. It's great that you're taking the dance class. My husband mentions doing that, but he has never danced (and shows no natural inclination) and I danced forever until we were married...

    The poem was brilliant. Truly.

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  3. Thank you both for the encouraging words, but if you ever have any critiques please, please feel free to tell me.
    Ms. Francie-Pants, You are welcome and I'm sorry for breaking your heart:>) Just trying to get a story and some feelings out there. As for the crush--I feel compelled to tell you in the spirit of full disclosure that my dancing is way more Ugly Betty and a LOT LESS Dancing With The Stars. Just so's you know...
    Lydia, maybe you guys could trial some classes. The ones we tried started off with leading and following which nips a lot of confusion(and bickering from the follower)from the get-go. It's been fun for us and a totally different world to observe. I suspect it uses a different part of the brain, too, because you have to concentrate diffently. Thanks again and wishes for a lovely fall weekend for you all.

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Hey, thanks for your thoughts and your time:>)

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