A Tidings of Magpies

the hookers, the madmen and the doomed By Charles Bukowski today at the track 2 or 3 days after the death of the jock came this voice over the speaker asking us all to stand and observe a few moments of silence. well, that's a tired formula and I don't like it but I do like silence. so we all stood: the hookers and the madmen and the doomed. I was set to be dis- pleased but then I looked up at the TV screen and there standing silently in the paddock waiting to mount up stood the other jocks along with the officials and the trainers: quiet and thinking of death and the one gone, they stood in a semi-circle the brave little men in boots and silks, the legions of death appeared and vanished, the sun blinked once I thought of love with its head ripped off still trying to sing and then the announcer said, thank you and we all went on about our busi...

The Dancers Inherit the Party by Ian Hamilton Finlay When I have talked for an hour I feel lousy— Not so when I have danced for an hour: The dancers inherit the party While the talkers wear themselves out and sit in corners alone, and glower.

When I posted the prayer to St. Anthony of Padua I had no idea about the shootings in Alabama and Germany. Maybe they hadn't happened yet. Maybe it was that day. I don't know. I've been working the past couple of days and despite 12hrs of asking each and every patient each and every hour their name and the day, month, and year it all tends to run together. I knew about the murder here of a 13yr old girl which has deeply grieved our city. I didn't know her or the family. She went to school with the children of two of my neighborhood girlfriends; in the same grade as Lisa's son. Although I know it's not their child, irrationally my heart feels otherwise. The arresting officer is the daughter of another friend of mine. She called her mother that night wanting to make sense of the senseless. What can you tell someone who has looked into the black void of a nightmare? To hear and see two more tragedies makes you wonder what the hell is going on? This isn't tragi...