Oct 2024

Equinoxes give me pause...

Every year
When Druids gather
To adjust Stone Henge
To align with the arrival
And departure of DST
I pause to ponder
The actual astonishing
Idea of equinoxes…
Tho they are not themselves
Honoured by our clocks.
Pausing to ponder now
Is really a part of noticing
Nature vs our
Human-made observances.

In Springtime we rejoice
And celebrate the lengthening days
And see things like
Crocuses and daffodils
As they give way
To dandelions and their
Far-floating puffs of fluff.

Then we swelter
And complain,
Of course.

But that all transforms
Yet again
As the Autumnal equinox
Brings us shorter days again
But also
Gives us dahlias...
Like these from Kelley.
She tells me dahlias
Are Autumn’s peonies!
She takes lots of pix
Of all the glorious flowers
She says she buys herself
Because they just
Make her so happy.

Kelley’s many flowers also
Make me so happy…
And I offer these to you
For your own happiness
And
To share the joy
Of our new season.

Rejoice now.
We can wait til after
The snow flies
To complain again…
And remember
The promises
Of the equinoxes.
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course

 

Sept 2024

School Days. School Days...

Today is the next-to-last day
Of the Ex (CNE)
And the Air Show
Roars nearby each day now.
I can see it from
My balcony…
Tho the formations
Aren’t really formations
From here.
The end of the Ex
Marks the beginning
Of each fresh new school year.
That always triggers
Memories of my own first day
In San Antonio.
I later attended schools
In Lubbock, Fort Worth,
Bartonville, and Arlington
Before returning to San Antonio
For high school
At Thomas Jefferson HS
And college at the tiny perfect
Trinity University.

I loved my art classes at Trinity
But in nice weather
I sometimes cut class
To hang out at the zoo.
Seems there was no penalty
As long as I presented the day’s sketches
To my drawing prof.

Today’s calendar resulted
From just such a day circa 1963.
I was sketching this pelican
When her keeper approached
And looked over my shoulder.
He told me the bird’s name was
Molly.
Yes… Molly.
Then
Molly suddenly
Started squawking
And stomping about
In high dudgeon.
Seems she was irate
With her keeper for
Talking with me
Instead of feeding her!
Here are some of that day’s sketches.

Just one bird
In several views.
I called the resulting
Linocut “Molly’s Moods.”
You’ll see a print featured
On the entrance wall
Of my senior one-man show.

I have recently unearthed
The actual lino
And have found myself
Tempted to try printing again.
I haven’t done it yet,
But newspaper feels
Just so tempting.
What do you think?
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
              ~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course