Farewell Inspector Morse - "Why be Jewish?" - Laotians are Buddhists / Poem: Septombre

Why on earth is La Belle showing you her Amazon.com credit card?

Cuz I cancelled it, that's why. I got $40 off a big order, but, then, whenever I went on Amazon, I kept doing things wrong and I bot two of the same book, so I decided to cancel. I was only on the phone 8 minutes and I was eating my breakfast outside on my new plastic loveseat.

The ants love the smooth plastic.

Next slide please.....

Oh, dear, here's Chief Inspector Morse on his deathbed. His boss is standing vigil. It's nice to have someone with you when you die.

I'd checked these DVDs outa the libe and became absolutely enthralled with them. I would eat while watching them so I could see all 6 discs before the due date.

Dunno why they killed him off. Two years later, John Thaw (1942-2002), the actor who played him died of cancer of the esophagus, like Uncle Donny. Thaw was a heavy drinker, just like the character he played, who claimed he couldn't think unless he had alcohol in him.

"Let's have a pint," he'd say to his underling, Inspector Robbie Lewis, who, in this penultimate episode, accompanied the body of his boss outa the hospital and kissed him on the forehead, the classical-music-loving curmudgeon who had given him so much trouble.

And the verses he quoted! His house was filled with books, glorious books.

Here's one of six I'm now reading:

Oh, you didn't know I was Jewish? My writing coach wrote this book. It is DARN GOOD! When I first saw him on his website, not to mention in person, I thought, He's gotta be Jewish.

Yes, Jews are like that. (He even notes it in his book.) We're always trying to identify people as Jews or not.

Bank made one mistake in his Foreward. He addresses himself only to Jews, or gentiles who married Jews.

Wrong, Richard! How bout The Curious? Have you never read books about Christianity. I first fell in love with Jesus when my mom bought me a Little Golden Book, still in Racine, WI, about The Christmas Story.

I've even prayed in churches, even though I don't really believe in God.

Bank says that most Jews don't like to pray in synagogues. That's for sure. Why is that? I'll let you know. Am only on page 20. I read it outside with the ants and a cricket I shooed off the bench.

I never kill bugs anymore if they're outside. Live and let live.

This photo is in the wrong file. It belongs in my Hair Salon file.

My next Patch.com story is about the beauty salon Salon Manivanh, owned by Molly. These are her three sons, names all beginning with "D." I'll type up my notes tonite while listening to loud jazz on WRTI. Keeps me focused. Allows me to think better.

Molly and her family are Laotians. Most Laotians, including Moll, are Buddhists.

You see, I really do work in the daytime. Spent about three hours with Molly and her customers. One older woman who also lives in Willow Grove said I should give her a call and we'll get together.

She volunteers at St David's Church up the street. I ran to my book bag and showed her the cover of "Why Be Jewish?"

Oh, you don't look Jewish, she said.

People either think I'm Jewish or it never occurs to them. In fact, I wrote a whole series of poems about Christ that I would never print online b/c they're so sad.

Lemme go fish around and see if I can find a quick poem for you.

SEPTOMBRE

First she comes
a skipping girl
twirling down
the avenue
kerchief on head
basket in arm
strewing
leaves
acorns
apples
and casting herself
invisible
across the land
won't scare us
with
things to come:
the shedding of
maple's majestic leaves
uncrowning the golden oak
reducing
all
to
baldness.

After
the initial chill,
the shuddering trauma,
acceptance falls
like welcome rain
as her solemn brethren
October and November
bring forth a new definition
to our world:

We must
find beauty
in spareness:
in the lone bird who calls
and the spinning leaf
come dancing down the avenue.