Food in the Door

With the turmoil of an overdrawn checking account behind me (only temporarily, as I would discover the following Tuesday afternoon) I was still uncertain about (NOT “as to” mind you. Who the hell started saying “as to”anyway? My GUESS is:  a lawyer who eats grass all day; not that there’s anything wrong with them.) whether or not to attend the first UIS Visual Arts Gallery exhibition reception of the new year. From my perspective, with a car that runs on the power of prayer as much as motorfuel, the prospect was equivalent to going rabbit hunting in grizzly territory during mating season; not my mating season; grizzly matting season. Even so, it was important for me to show the fine people who support these events that I’m still on the map, so to speak.

And, just more than two hours after deciding to go, and safely returned to home and hearth, I was glad I attended. Michellle Coakes is a competent, interesting artist; her creations of pottery and digital photography engaging and pleasing to the eyes, and the interaction at the gallery affirming and restorative. To see pictures from the evening visit my Visual Vibes website and look for the link to the new page –     www.civag.com/vv.htm

I felt so good about attending I even decided to return to Writers’ Block in lyrical downtown Springfield. As I opened mon front door, I almost stumbled over a bag of foodal provisions, accompanied by a card, signed by “a friend.” It was as obvious who the friend (actually, probably friendS) was/were. There are only two people in my world who know of my devotion to crunchy Cheetos and a certain “flavor” of Campbell’s Select Soup. But they/he/her wanted to be anonymous, and I respect that. That doesn’t keep me from zaying             THANK YOU!

Monday, instead of taking Poetry (the fab magazine of that title) to LHS where I spent a pleasant day with some advanced math students, I took Lee Gurga’s new book entitled Haiku for Poets – a fab read. Will tell you more about it after I’m finished reading it. Suffice to say for now that if you consider yourself a poet — and BEING a poet is not a requisite for considering yourself a poet — you should boogie to your local book merchant and order the book! By gorry, the Gurga-meister even includes a Corrine Frisch-authored haiku in it!  I bought the book at the Vachel Lindsay Association meeting last fall where Lee was reatured epaker. I still consider every paragraph in it to be a gift from the author!

Final thought for today:

There has been no time in my life
when I have avoided, so resolutely
the solace of the cultivated grape and/ barley,
yet wanted to embrace them more.
But now, becoming reacquainted with these old friends
is out of the question.
Not even help from friends who care
will permit such a reunion. It would insult
their/his/her higher hope for me,
and more greivously,
it would insult my higher hope for me as well.

Live long . . . . . . . and proper!