Day of Splendor of the Month of Knowledge

Kansas: it was clear blue sky cool today.

Not much accomplished other than having supper with Janette and doing my other blog. At least I renewed my library books that were due! Tuesday is a night to hang out at Henry's and see who is out and about.

Retired poem:

Moments wasted

Your life's more precious than silver or gold
yet some will sell it for crack.
And ignore the lessons their elders told:
you can never buy it back.

© Kåre Enga 2007

Thinking of you:

70º in DC where Gastón resides. When will I visit?

70º in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Talked with my Aunt Dot on Sunday.

56º in Missoula, Montana. Thinking about going back come December. Brrrrrrr.

Day of Beauty of the Month of Might

Kansas: 69 º and cool and rainy.

Well, life is dull at times. The Saturday football game was a romp: 62-0. Sunday was sitting at Z's and working on my blog and old poetry. I've gone through about half of the 500 pictures that I got developed from old film going back 3 years. Some photos were a bit of a surprize. Nights have cooled off; good sleeping weather. Reading some Burroughs.

ODD THOUGHTS & COMMENTS:

A flock of cows in closed formation, flying ...
Telepathic cow power (how they move in unison)
Cow show girls
Cashew Inn (cash you in)
Wingbat, Wyoming?

Does anyone know anything about Gillette, Wyoming? I'm stuck there for a couple hours on the 21st. I spend all day on the 9-21 and 10-3 cruising and perusing the landscape of Wyoming. Any thoughts? Snoozing has crossed my mind ... as has reading Annie Proulx' short story collection, "Close Range". I'll be in Missoula, Montana on the 22nd and then Monroe, Washington.

IMAGES:

Counting along the path to Z's:
2-4 inch willow leaves
19 1/2 inch deep crack in the soil.
24 bricks high canna lilies.
3 cm. petals of crabapple flowers in bloom
1.8 cm grey lichen on an ash
8 bricks high, the Pine Tree Townhouse sign
7 inches, dry pine needles
1 fresh pile of dog poop (didn't count the flies)
2 balls, one blue football, 1 red-white-blue basketball
22 leaflets on a locust leaf
5 points on the sweet gum leaf
1 nest on the ground, another in a tree
6 cm pine cone
4 cm cigarette butt
20 slabs of walkway concrete to 21st Street.
7 concrete road slabs to Miller Drive
3 spouts on the yellow fireplug
innumerable shards of broken brown glass
1 bag of trash
1 man in pink riding a red lawn mower, turning the corner of S Silicon
24 mailboxes with 4 feet
1 green cooking pan
2 ladders atop the silver Muzak.com van
2 car garages everywhere, the house turning their backs to the street
3 ridged black water drains
7 inch oak leaf, 7 inches wide
2.2 x 1.8 cm acorn, the cap 2 cm by .6 cm deep
1 green mailbox (#1600)
4 red reflectors (#1605)
2 purple curly cabbages 1 m high
9 white portulacas among a sea of yellow
2 covered motorbikes
1 flag waving in front of the silver water tower
2 green hook and ladders
2 red-leafed trees in the island by Z's
8 heliopsis in bloom, mulched by coffee grounds.

thinking of you

68º Diane in Buffalo, New York. Call mom!

87º Shelley in Monroe, Washington. I'll see you soon.

78º David in Missoula, Montana. Will it snow when I visit in two weeks?

Day of Speech of the Month of Names

Kansas: 89 degrees and not one cloud!

Fortunately it has been cooler at night. Even had to cover up.

Football

Will Applachian State get some deserved votes in the National polls? I guess the AP won't allow it ... . After beating Michigan, they proved they can play with the best and deserve any recognition they get.

I went to Kansas U's 52-7 win over Central Michigan. Not an exciting game. Amused myself by playing with a 2 1/2 year old, Max, and his trash truck, two cars and dinosaur.

IMAGES:

Picked and put in my pocket: sweet pea, violet butterfly-bush flowers, yellow rose. In my bag: 2 bottle caps and feathers.

The fall of brown pine needles (evoking sadness); oak leaves, chestnut leaves, ginkgo leaves; chestnuts, their balls spiny and green, and big enough to make The Hulk jealous ; chewed up remains of a walnut husk (no squirrel seen).

Thinking of U:

82 degrees and clear in Bellefontaine, Ohio for Lee Ann and Larry. So much nicer than the extreme heat or floods.
79 degrees for my nice Lee Ann in Cheektowaga, New York. She's only 12, but she'll be taller than me in a couple years.
57 degrees for Kathy in North Derbyshire, U.K. Can't wait until I hook up with Skype and can talk with her and Anna Lisa in Lund, Sverige: 55 degrees.

Day of Knowledge of the Month of Names

Kansas: 86 degrees and warm. It was nice and cool last night!

IMAGE THIS!

Hey, I looked good yesterday! I really did and today, I got an 'aircut. Yep. Been years ... can't remember the last time. Malcolm cut it at the Amyx barbershop.

"Mondays at Munchies with Malcolm Miller till Midnite"

On Mondays Malcolm does donuts.

Heard outside of Starbucks: "Caffeine and nicotine, the everyman's diet.

I've been entering and editing poetic sketches from December 2005. Weird reading 'old' stuff.

And last night ... I had to cover up! Cool.

tHiNkInG oF yOu:

75 in Kyoto at 7 a.m. where Deb wants to go and study some day. Me, too.

93 in Hot Springs, Arkansas where McPike is from. Haven't seen you yet today, Frank!

56 in Eureka, California. Same temps in New Zealand where Anabel is originally from. 57 in Aukland, for example.

Bruce who prefers alligators to grad students: 79 in Missouri City, Texas.

Day of Names of the Month of Names

Kansas: 96º, but nights are cooler.

44 years ago on August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King mesmerized an audience from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and inspired all of America with his "I have a dream" speech.

Link: http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html

For 15 years (1988-2002) I had picnics on this day to bring people together as a commemoration, in keeping with the vision of Dr. King. Even though I did not have a gathering today, I try to keep the dream alive.

My most successful event was when friends came to play blues and jazz and I was inundated with 150 guests. Then in 2001, my friend Cory was the dj with every one dancing out in the 'parking lot'. Yep. Or the year the Wasehs cooked chicken kabob out at the curb and we had the whole neighborhood salivating. We shared, of course!

Yes, we had some good times bringing all types of folks together.

Thinking of U:

Sally who grew up around Carbondale, Illinois: 95º Four years ago we were both having a tough time. Hope her life has moved on.

Krista from Wamego, Kansas: 95º who is moving to Reno, Nevada: 81º. She'll miss the green, but the paycheck will be greener.

Gayle Ranney who grew up in Wichita, Kansas: 91º ... hmmm ... wonder where thou art?

Brandon from Washington, Pennsylvania: 82º Still have your stuff, Spike! Wish you were here.

Last week's retired ditty:

Bug hug lesson #1

Out in the grass,
I found a bug.
I gave it a hug.
It gave me a rash.

© Kåre Enga 2007

I somehow got up and saw the eclipse of the moon around 5 this morning. Big orangish moon, darker towards the top. Couldn't stay up to watch it for long. Earlier in the evening it was one of the biggest brightest yellow full moons I've ever done seen.

And tell my mother I ate all my meatloaf and all the beets too! She doesn't read this, but somehow mothers always know ...

Day of Mercy of the Month of Names

Kansas: 77 degrees and fair.

IMAGES:

In the International Park: trembling birch, white barked; white anemones; the air clear, no stench; white John, white socked, asleep laying on a bench; collecting tulip leaves and cherry leaves; pebbles, water, trees.

ME:

I've been writing more. Slogging through Murakami and have read poetry by Koethe , Koch and Ko Un recently.

It cooled off last night. Such a relief, albeit temporary.

I missed my bus to the nature preserve. So I went downtown instead. Met friends at Aimee's. Went down to South Park and listened to the fiddlers while I had some chocolate ice cream. They were very good. The singing and playing continues tomorrow.

I feel okay today.

THINKING of YOU

59 degrees and humid in Amstelveen, The Netherlands where Maria lives. Hope people are smiling at you.

83 degrees in Fayetteville, North Carolina where my aunt has had to stay inside because of the heat and poor air quality.

78 degrees in Bonanza, Arkansas. Not nearly so hot as I expected, Allen!

Day of Light of the Month of Names

Kansas: 79º and cloudy at noon.

We had a breeze blow through last night. Temperatures dropped and there are no triple digit days in the forecast. The heat has worn me out. I didn't sleep well and now I feel like a nap. Perhaps tonight will be cooler.

Yesterday, I went to Tea at Three and saw Richard, Paul, William and Douglas. I read some poetry of Kenneth Koch and Ko Un. I wrote a bit. But I'm still listless. The walk home was pleasant though.

RAMBLINGS based on IMAGES:

Such a storm, gathering up its skirts to do a tarantela, barely working up a sweat. Such sweet fury, so little rain. The plastic pot lies fallen of its perch, moss-rose resting among the mallows. No shallow puddles, no movement of stone. Just strewn leaves blown about. This noon the grass is barely damp. This coolness brief relief. The dirt still opens up its crack of widening mouth and cries for its return. But once the dance is spent, the relentless sun reburns. And all life huddles in the drying breeze, this dying day.

Thinking of you:

71º in Green Lake, Wisconsin, which is cooler than the 88º in Bellefontaine, Ohio, Lee. Hope you and Larry are enjoying the cooler weather. Of course, Bellefontaine being on top of a 'mountain' won't flood. It's wet in Wisconsin.

80º in Texola, Oklahoma. Hub just called me today and he's a Tex-Okie.

46º in Mendoza, Argentina. Had house guests from that area years ago. I miss Mario.

66º in Arequipa, Perú below the snowy cone of El Misti. I remember the sparkling river that runs through it ... and I wish I were there.

93º at 8 in the evening in Izmir, Turkey. Daily highs have been near 100º so Sarah, her dogs, her wild kedis and the tortoises are all baking in the heat.

Day of Grandeur of the Month of Names

Kansas: 91º at 11 a.m. At least it will be cooler tomorrow!

Well, I'm in a hurry ... got lots to do ... liver and onions and Tea at Three and printing up some poetry ...

I hang around crazy people. Maybe they caught it from me? Nah ... they were this way before I first came here.

Still writing children's ditties. Although, I want to do an epistle based on memories of Arequipa. No time for reminiscing about Perú today.

I was Thinking of you yesterday:

Steven and Fellser in Chilly Philly: 68º. Fellser just got back from Maine and Steven will be in NYC real soon, so enjoy being at home!

Betty in Salamanca: 72º. Nice day! (72º in Salamanca Spain, too, but much dryer at 23% humidity compared to 76%.) Hope you are enjoying one of Summer's last gasps. I promise not to mention the casino ... oops.

Jeanette spoke about Bellingham, Washington: 69º. Another nice cool place ... ***sigh***

IMAGES:

From KMA and Headhunter's on the 21st:

Purple podded okra; 12 foot sunflowers towering; the crush, the smell of fennel, yellow-flowered, stems bulging at the base; various shades of coleus; orange torch of tithonia and the fragrant crush of cosmos, four bees clustered on pink petals; a riot of zinnia where a new stone path is being planted; 4 o'clocks; orange, yellow, red ribs of chard.

Day of Splendor of the Month of Names

Kansas: 94º and oppressive.

Ruth is about ready to put me on a spit and roast me til I'm well done at her long-pig luau. Probably a few old friends and family members have felt that way about me from time-to-time, too.

IMAGES:

5 minutes in the parking lot: dead leaf, dead shingle, dead branch; a mini-tree festooned with dozens of double pink-violet rose-of-sharons; muffler-music, the melody of Marilyn's old BMW; heat pressing in; a man in a red cap, yellow pants carrying a blue and orange bag.

Thinking of you:

Gary turned 5! One whole hand full of fingers. But it's a chilly, rainy day in West Seneca, New York: 63º
And not much better at Shelley's in Monroe, Washington: 60º
It's 66º in Plainfield Vermont where Goddard is and 57º at the other Goddard in Port Townsend, Washington.
61º in the garden city, Victoria, British Columbia.

I was thinking of cool places.

Retired poem of the week:

What the waves knew

Red sails
in the sunset,
one woman, one dead man,
rubies drying in the bloody sun
lit sand.

© Kåre Enga 2007

Day of Loftiness of the Month of Perfection

Kansas: 85 degrees and muggy-buggy.

ThInKiNg Of YoU!

91 degress in Edwardsville, Illinois where Nanette resides. When will the heat abate?
97 degress in Mesa, Arizona, near where my cousin Kathy and her family lives. I'll talk to her mother in a bit.
55 degrees in Perth, West Australia near where Rebecca resides. Haven't heard from you girl! Wondering ... hope you are okay.
70 degrees in Port Colborne, Ontario, just west of where Jeanne Mason is. It's been a long time since I've had the pleasure of visiting Lake Erie and the temp sounds fine.

Not much else to report. I ate a fish for lunch and I've been staying cool at Z's with a cuppa, reading blogs. Recently, I've been writing children's poems and want to write more. So that'll be my day. How's yours?

Day of Dominion of the Month of Perfection

Kansas: 81 and steamy with a few sprinkles

Lament of the first born

Bug, bug, bug.
My brother always bugs me.
Squish, squish, squish.
My father will not let me.

© Kåre Enga [164.180d] 2007-08-18

So my friend's son turns 5 on Monday. That means I've been looking at little things through a child's eye. Wrote a bunch of 4 line poems. So ... I sent him a card today with frogs on it and put two scarlet macaw feathers inside (one yellow, tipped in green; the other blue).

Been reading X. J. and Dorothy Kennedy's book Knock at a Star (a child's introduction to poetry). Good poems and makes me want to write more short poems and poems for children.

IMAGES:

Bugs ... the dipsy-doodle flight of bright yellow goldfinches; moths; a sleeping possum; Edgar Allen Crow saying in a human voice, "caw, caw, caw".

It's not quite as hot but plenty muggy and it rained lightly this evening already. I'm at Aimee's listening to the Petroglyphs. Kevin Rabas, part of the duo, is a poet: http://www.writing.com/main/redirect.php?redirect_url=http://www.kevinrabas.com

IMAGES from Friday ...

The din of drops from grey heavens on the roof of the cross-over walk. The dripline a wet river dividing the ground that lies puddled from the cracks of dying scorched earth.

And the trees turning grey and the buildings shrouded in mist and the clouds rumbling, bound for the East.

Moist bath of hot summer steam. Is this the warning that lobsters, crayfish and frogs ... do not heed?

Thinking of you:

Cousin Barbara in Hattiesburg, Mississippi: 79. The stormy season is upon us again. Will Dean turn north?
The folks where my dad grew up, Okmulgee, Oklahoma: 89. Enough rain this year?
Bruce in Missouri City, Texas: 82. I know you folks don't need more rain!
82 in Kingston Jamaica: thinking about all the folks who won't make it through Hurricane Dean ...
Little G in West Seneca, New York: 66. Cool sleeping weather ... only 2 more days to go!

Day of Questions of the Month of Perfection

Kansas: 103º and sunny. Not too humid, but still ...

The heat sucks the life right out of potted plants, so I have to water those once or twice a day. Even the peppers, cucumbers, sweet potato in the ground wilt most every day. I have Habanero peppers ripening in a shade of gold. Since I planted the tomatoes in more shade and also deeper, they are fine except for some blossom end rot.

The marigolds seem to be handling the heat. My favorite is a bright yellow variety that looks like miniture roses. I also have single yellow and double cream, gold, orange and brown ones.

Here at the 'funny farm' we are suffering from the heat. It is wearing on folks. A quote from Ruth, "I've got a reindeer stuck somewhere and his name is Blinky."

Thinking of you:

Kay in Emporia, Kansas: 97º on a steamy day. Hope this heat is not complicating your health issues. Relief comes in September?
Anabel in Eureka, California: 68º. The coast of CA seems like a dream. I could use some sushi right now too!
Arden Kwong. I don't know where you are but it is 82º in your hometown of Hong Kong.
79º in San José, Costa Rica where I once lived. I probably still know folks there. Looked at my passport from those days ... could/should get another ... and visit.

There are storms brewing in the Gulf and Caribbean. Erin will land somewhere in Texas and could bring rain this far north depending on how it tracks and whether it is a rain-maker like some tropical storms.

Dean is a long way off but headed west and I see no way that it can avoid landing somewhere between Florida and Mexico. Too soon to tell who will be in the way.

I spoke with a good friend this morning. He says his son who turns 5 on Monday has been looking forward to the date for three months. Also, that they now have a caterpiller. He brought a snake home last week. Wish he could've been here this morning to see the blue swallowtail sitting on a bright yellow marigold and the flash of the golden oriole flying from the elm to the maple.

Day of Speech of the Month of Perfection

Kansas: hot! 102º at 2 p.m. with a heat index of 107º.

Many of my friends are wilting under the heat here and around the country. Maybe the gulf storm will send some clouds and cooling rain this way.

I now have a post office box! Soon I'll have a debit card and be hitting the highway. World ... here I come.

IMAGES:

A cold bus; yellow-orange zinnias; gold rudbeckias; green-brown blood grass; pigeon feathers; a/c anywhere I go ... the heat outside.

Thinking of YOU:

David in Missoula, Montana: 93º. In 1893 it was 32º! What a difference a century makes. I will visit this autumn, somehow! I will have the money.
Snow in Las Vegas, Nevada: 102º. The worse is yet to come ... I think I'll wait on Nevada til winter. Such a cool name; such a hot place.
Gary in Tulsa, Oklahoma: 87º after a day that hit 104º. Unfortunately, I can imagine a day like this quite well, a whole bunch of days back in the summer of '03 in Tahlequah. Hope your wires aren't frying, Gare.
Charlotte in Buda, Texas: 85º. Not bad! She's seen a lot of rain this year, so I wonder what she thinks about the storm brewing in the gulf? Then again, maybe I don't!
Gaston in D.C.: 79º after a day of 99º. I don't want to think about the humidity. Hope you and Juan are keeping cool. It is 43º back home in La Paz, Bolivia. 26º tonight.

Day of Power of the Month of Perfection

Kansas: 96º and steamy. Nice breeze though.

We are having temps near 100º every day. I stay in the a/c as much as possible, which is why I walked to Z's yesterday. I was totally soaked even though it took me only 20 some minutes to get there.

Finished reading Body in the Basement. Light summer reading. This week's cinquain above was inspired by the tale. I also loved the quote about the Maine shore, "If you want to speak to God, it's a local call from here." It would make a good writing prompt. Maine would be preferable to Kansas at the moment.

Well my writing may be suffering, but my private journal just hit the milestone of 1,300 pages!

My friend Rita Cline informs me that her son Brian was in a very bad accident, but is recovering now. Nearly lost him ...

Thinking of you:

Pencilsoverpens in Toronto: 81º. I hope she has finally gotten to Kew Gardens and enjoyed herself this summer instead of just working.
Andra in Bismarck, North Dakota: 87º. Pregnant in the summer ... could be worse!
David in Fort Lauderdale, Florida: 88º. Ah ... but is he in North Carolina? I'd love to know.
Shelley in Monroe, Washington: 82º. I'll be visiting in September or October.

IMAGES:

Caress of the willow; touch of the pine; white webs of gossamer across the grass; curls of sycamore bark; white bindweed, small stars in the sere lawn of grass; rain softened cracks; small copper butterfly.

Last week's cinquain:

August

The itch.
The scratch. The welts.
Ooze mixes with the sweat.
Sweet-sour reminder from a month
that bites.

© Kåre Enga 2007

Day of Will of the Month of Perfection

Kansas: 97º and hotter than a ...

I am trying to stay where it is cool. Downstairs at the library is a bit stuffy, so I'll leave here to hang out at a coffeehouse or something.

The garden is suffering but surviving too. The portulaca has been performing well; I think the rabbit (or squirrel) has a taste for green tomato; the areas I mulched are looking fair to good.

IMAGES:

On the swings of South Park: What little light hugs horizon. Dark silhouettes against a dusky blue. The colors red and yellow have left, gone westward, ho! The stars arrive, north, east and south ... and I should homeward go.

Around my house: blue body, green head, bronze gossamer of a damselfly; 33 portulacas in bloom in 3 pots, a rainbow of white, yellow, peach, pinks, orange, red, magenta; 2 monarchs in a dance; c-c-cliiiiiiiiiick-ck--ck of a cicada taking flight; rumble of a bus on an uphill grade..

Thinking of you:

Sharon in Allegany, New York: 75º and cool nights. Every time I think of Sharon I remind myself I should be at Goddard or I remember her wonderful recitation of her poems "He was a Pretty Man" and "Olive".
Kathleen near Manchester, England: 61º and wet. At least she had nice weather when she went to Scarborough.
Susan in Moline, Illinois: 90º and steamy, but it is 103º in her home town of Guymon, Oklahoma.
Diana in Tahlequah, Oklahoma: 99º. Well ... the Illinois River is nicer than the Kaw!
Tiger in Tulsa: 99º and a good day for golf! He's still in the lead at the PGA. I don't know Tiger, but wouldn't mind meeting him and I do love Tulsa.

Day of Might of the Month of Perfection

Kansas: 96º with a heat index of 109.

Even a short walk can be dangerous and must be planned. The sky is beautiful and full of fluffy cotton. My garden is doing well in the heat between watering and the rain we have had. But ... I'm no marigold, nor do I have wings to soar with clouds.

IMAGES:

Along Vermont Street at dusk: one golden hypericum in bloom; echinicea faded to brown; bursting seed pods of the hollyhocks, a few stray flowers; angel trumpets poised to open up; red ricinus; thyme in a crack; green golden hosta.

The golden flowers of hypericum (Saint John'swort) reminds me of my father. The datura (angel trumpet) brings a mental image of the moment before the 'trumpet's blast' and I've already written about "Thyme in a crack".

Just snuck though the hedge row over to the Indian Methodist church and got me some fry bread. Indian Taco Day is the 2nd Friday of the month, but I'm not interested in beans today. The cashier there is a hoot and a half. I could've stayed longer.

Thinking of you:

Sandy and Rita in Peterborough, Ontario: 82º. I only drank one pot of coffee today.
Scarlett in Sheffield, England: 59º and a wet evening and wet week. Enough rain for the ducks already!
Snow in Las Vegas, Nevada: 101º. Would love to visit when it's cold!
Rocio who is from Santiago del Campostela, Spain: 68º in the evening; hot days. Sueño de visitar Galiza algún día. ¡Ya sabés eso!
Judith and Terry in San Francisco, California: 72º. Sounds like a perfect day.
Allen in Bonanza, Arkansas: 98º. Scorpions! I remember the scorpions!
Sweet Souad in Olean, New York: 73º. I still owe you a poem ...

I finished Bloodroot by Susan Wittig Albert. She places the family-murder-mystery in the Delta of Mississippi. Mixes in Choctaw, Whitefolk, Blackfolk herbal folklore. I could use some of Queenies' biscuits! Very good read that makes one wonder about one's own family tree. Did the old-folks lie? You-betcha! Ours has its secrets too. Not everybody is who you think they are ...

Day of Names of the Month of Perfection

Kansas: 95º with a heat index of 107.

Thinking of you:

103º in Fayetteville, North Carolina where my Aunt Dot stays in when it swelters.
84º at midnight in New Delhi, near where Vibha resides.
82º in Peoria, Illinois where my friends the Wrights live.
76º in Cupertino, California where their son Kevin and his family are.
54º in Lyon, France where Alfred reports he puts on socks to keep his feet warm.

IMAGES:

From Haskell Square:

• A flock of sparrows in the blue spruce trees startled into flight by my approach.
• Long shadows of sunset across the bright new woodchips, the old chips grey as a winter's day.
• Tan and grey bark of cedar: stringy, peeling off like long split hairs.
• The sunset orange of the buildings around the plaza of Haskell Square.
• The dispatch voice of the fire station.
• The seat of the swing cupping my butt, pinching my cheeks.
• The neighbor's banana trees.
• A bright golden butterfly.
• Flat grey of clouds, like cut out metal, serrated with orange-gold.

We got a bit of rain last night when the storm came through. A bit of relief. Could be over 100 by Saturday. Argh ... August ...

I got up at 7:30 a.m., read a bit then went back to sleep in the cool of the morning. Strange dreams ... Slept in until 11 (that was a mistake) so I'm not getting as much done as I should.

I'm sitting here with Ruth who is bursting balloons (Poppit @ Pogo.com). I would love to join in the fun. Gotta go ...

Day of Perfection of the Month of Perfection

Kansas: 91º at 1 p.m. and no respite in sight.

We had 3 minutes of sprinkles this morning. Fortunately I watered the garden. Last night I mulched an area with hay.

I decided not to go downtown last night. Walked to the store instead and bought milk, yoghurt and Kroger's Death-by-chocolate low-fat ice cream. Very good! Surprisingly so, because I love high-fat content.

Well I had chicken with vegetables for lunch and once again remembered to take my pill. I need to slurp my egg drop soup soon though. Cost me all of $5.50.

Thinking of you:

83º in Buffalo: my mother was fine when I spoke to her on Sunday.
76º in Missoula, Montana: started a poem about the Sentinel, David!
71º in Lund, Sweden: mild evening where a dear friend lives.
65º in Monroe, Washington: cool at my sister's place today. I should be there now.
57º in Fulda, Germany: Anna's mom is from there. Rainy day.
-46º in Schwerdtfeger, Antartica: Thinking of my college roomate by that name!

IMAGES: clouds, clouds and the cotton of clouds, no drops to drink; no breeze inside where the a/c can't be felt; semi-soft vegetables caught in my teeth; sweet 'smoky' coffee; beep of the phone and voices from the front desk; an annoying buzzzzz.

Day of Words of the Month of Perfection

Kansas: 89º at 11 a.m. Clear and gonna be hot! The picture to the left was taken on a hot day in July, 2004 in South-Western Kansas along Route 56.

There isn't much to report. I managed to sleep in spite of the fact that it may have got down to 80 last night, maybe not. After a late night downtown I was glad to go home. I'm slowly reading the Poet's Market (got up to the Bs).

The doggy days of August are a time for low physical activity accomplishments. I water the garden. Do a wash and hang it on the line. I try to stay where it's cool.

I worked on my website yesterday. Janette showed me how to upload a picture. There will be many more to come. I wrote another poem in the Zmitri series.

Sometimes the very small accomplishments need to be celebrated. Last night I remembered to take my hypertension pill. I celebrated by downing it with death-by-chocolate bundt cake. Life can be good.

Day of Mercy of the Month of Perfection

Kansas: 96º at 1 p.m. It is scorching. Heat index: 105º

I should've gone to Washington. The heat index will be 110 today. Have trouble sleeping at night when the temp barely dips below 80. Watered the garden. Will have to water most every day until the heat breaks. Should mulch some areas.

There are problems with the bus system here. My friend WyLma was hassled over not having proof she is disabled. Then she wasn't properly buckled in and injured herself. She barely gets around in her motorized wheelchair ... there are issues about how the disabled are treated. The transit system will argue over 40 cents.

Finished Death at Epsom Downs by Robin Paige. Will start another book later.

My sister thinks she's a Hufflepuff (like me?). We both enjoyed Harry Potter.

IMAGES:

Under the willows by HCA: sere grass and miniture hay stacks; pale parched soil cracked like canyons; 5 feet away, a hole in the ditch where the water puddles; on the horizon, swatches of green, the Farmer's Coop elevators scraping a dust-blue sky.

Day of Light of the Month of Perfection

Kansas: Hot! 92 degrees at noon.

The heat wilts what energy I have. The garden grows in jungle swatches and sparse parched patches. My hair thins.

I'm at Z's. The a/c pleases me and the coffee's 'smoky'. The vase on the table has pink-violet zinnias and soft green bells of Ireland.

I'm collecting feather's. No red ones yet. I did find a pink one though. I think it's human ,.. subspecies unknown.

Time to call my sister and see whether she has lost any plumage.

IMAGES and THOUGHTS

The praying mantis, green short winged, attentive, poised by the water spigot, giving me the eyes.

Symphony: the fade of cicada, the crescendo of crickets still a month off, the multi-layered song of July ashes becoming August dust.

The itch, the scratch, the welts. August is the month that bites.

Warm lingering fragrance of who-knows-what, a muggy mix of July's leaving.

Day of Beauty of the Month of Perfection

Kansas: 86º at noon and muggy.

Sunshine is peaking out though ...

Bought my copy of Poet's Market 2008. Only 1,600 places to send my 'stuff'. It'll take awhile to read and sort through it. There's a writer's retreat in Wyoming that's listed. Tempting.

Rent is due ... what else is new? Nada.

IMAGES:

The bus: ice-cold box, my glasses fogging up from the humidity and heat.

9th Street movies: The Big Clock, black and white against a streaked wall; two stars to the south-west over the parking garage tower; dry and calm; people draped over folding chairs and blankets; short sleeves and shorts on the grass; suits-and-ties and ladies-in-hats on the screen; popcorn.

The Big Clock (1948) was a delightful farce. George Stroud: "White clocks, yellow clocks, brown clocks, blue clocks. Oh, Miss York, where are the green clocks of yesteryear?" Louise Patterson: [after George Stroud outbids her for a picture] "Isn't it a pity... the wrong people always have money."

Seen on the side of a building on a clear but warm night reminded me of the drive-ins of my childhood. We had a couple near where we lived and I didn't get the experience of a movie house til later.

Watching black and white seems natural ... in a way. I was raised on black and white television and it never bothered me. Wonder what it is like though for someone who has never had that experience. Those films shot in B & W though show how essential contrast is for visual effect. Some films in color never pay attention to this.

A link for The Big Clock: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040160/

Day of Glory of the Month of Perfection

Kansas: 85º and muggy.

It sprinkled but not enough to help anything that's thirsty. Because of the cloud cover the garden may not need to be watered.

The Dog Days of August are upon us. Here, the season of daylilies has come to a close; the season of fireflies was over about two weeks ago. Oh, there are still a few around (both flowers and bugs); but, during their season they are glorious.

Now is the Season of the Naked Ladies. Say what? Nice pics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaryllis

IMAGES:

Gold ornaments, the dying leaves of a birch tree; yellow willow minnows flashing in the grass; one red spot among the brown needles of the pine, a ladybug; green pineapple cones attached, brown old ones scattered on the ground; the buzz of one cicada; a wave of cattails defining grace.

Day of Splendor of the Month of Perfection.

Kansas: 88 degrees and muggy.

Janette helped me set this blog up and a website too. Don helped me pay for my other poetry and writing site.

My writer's blog is at http://www.writing.com/main/books/item_id/982524

Breakfast and a banana aren't enough for today, so I won't tarry long on computer.

All is fine ...

Speak soft my name ... it begins ...

A poem to open up this blog:

Speak soft my name

Whisper in a hush:
… tsu … tsu … tsu …

My first name's but a breath,
salty, ancient, from the depths,
exhaled from what‘s been built up
in the core, where once Earth bore
what She could not contain forever.

In a gasp,
… na … na … na …

my middle name's released:
upward to the sky,
inward in a giant gulp,
onward in a race to greet the shore.

In awe, repeat what you fear most!
… me … me … me …

As unaware you wait my awesome thrust,
my curve that curls at sandy shore, my wave
that skyward soars magnificent, my grab
that drags all to my bosom in the end.

So few the hours that I spend, but ...
Oh, what moments I have lived!
I’ve cleansed the Earth,
returning all to muddy clay.

Whisper soft my name:
tsu … na … mi.

Say a little prayer:
tsu … na … mi.

Within my watery grave:
tsu … na … mi.

Sleep.
My thirst is quenched.

© Kåre Enga
2005 januar 2