by George Bilgere When Odysseus finally does get home he is understandably upset about the suitors, who have been mooching off his wife for twenty years, drinking his wine, eating his mutton, etc. In a similar situation today he would seek legal counsel. But those were different times. With the help of his son Telemachus he slaughters roughly one hundred and ten suitors and quite a number of young ladies, although in view of their behavior I use the term loosely. Rivers of blood course across the palace floor. I too have come home in a bad mood. Yesterday, for instance, after the department meeting, when I ended up losing my choice parking spot behind the library to the new provost. I slammed the door. I threw down my book bag in this particular way I have perfected over the years that lets my wife understand the contempt I have for my enemies, which is prodigious. And then with great skill she built a gin and tonic that would have pleased the very gods, and with epic patience she list...
Marvelous pairing of image and poem.
ReplyDeleteRichard Brautigan...decades ago I walked into a small bookstore asking if they had The Abortion by Brautigan. The clerk had not a clue about this novel, and directed me over to the aisle holding medical books. I explained it wouldn't be in that section. (She later ordered the book for me. Oh, the old days before Amazon.com...)
Oh gosh....I haven't read Brautigan in years. This brought back great memories of a wildly creative man.
ReplyDeletePyzahn