Read one page and fell asleep to the blaring TV.
When I awoke it was 10 pm and I fell asleep again.
On my calendar was to watch Charlie Rose who would carry on about the firing of James Comey FBI director.
Fast asleep again, I missed the Comey conversation - thank you Lord - and a musician name of Chris Stapleton was conversing with Charlie. Did Charlie like his music? I couldn't tell. He was shuffling papers in front of him on the desk.
Did YOU ever hear of Stapleton? I never did but let me tell you he is a very fine singer and composer. There's a term for this, but I cain't rightly remember. Richard Thompson is also a singer songwriter. Ah! That's the term. .Really lovely expressive voice. Comes from a family of coal miners in Lexington KY, I believe. Listen I'm not gonna check this cuz I'm awfully tired and wanna get back to one of my George Saunders' books.
He's 39. Charlie asked him.
Adam Cole, our librarian is 37. Elaine asked him.
We had a little ceremony for Adam whose last day at the ranch will be on Saturday.
I was 7 minutes late as I was polishing a new poem to the music of Rupert Waite's Loser's Motel.
PROUD TO CALL YOU OUR FRIEND
Adam, we will miss you
come Saturday. Glad you
shared a slice of life with us, The Girls
in the Thursday Afternoon
Book Club.
What did we gain from
knowing you? A place
at the table.
Handsome placards with our names writ large
sat like linen napkins on the table.
Without you these bookswould not exist for me:
Fordlandia, All the Light We Cannot See, and
Colorless Tsukuru and
His Years of Pilgrimage.
Your pilgrimage will continue
at another library without us.
I dab my eyes with a soft hankie.
We don’t know yet how we’ll
remember you. Let me guess.
Sitting within that orchestra pit
that serves as the Ref Desk, your computer
lights up the room, but not
half as much as you do,
Adam, our beloved Adam Cole,
drop by some time to say
hello.
Will you wear your
name badge from your
new library? And will you
remember us, as our memories
fade away like the name of
the last book we just read.
Our Book Group bought him a handsome plaque. Then we all left. I asked Adam to find some George Saunders books for me. How do they file books at our library? I have no clue!
***
On a local PBS channel they played the punk band The Descendents.
Zowie! Spectacular. They were wearing shorts! Southern California boys. This was their first album in 12 years.
Milo Aukerman is the face of the band.
In his fifties now, he had the energy of a kid on a pogo stick as he hopped around the stage. I was impressed as I watched from my bed. Doing nothing. Watch the band on YouTube but this video is nuffin compared with what I watched.
The next time I awoke it was 12:45. I'd missed all of Charlie and this dude in a tall cowboy hat was speaking.
He's married to another singer. He's written over a thousand songs.Find him on YT if you wanna hear him.
On the NY Times there is a series of stories about meditating. How to meditate in the shower, when you're angry, when you're gardening.
Be in the present moment.
When you're asleep can you be in the present moment?
When you're immersed in a movie or a concert?
DOWN WITH THE ENEMY
The Enemy is just outside the gates.
I make a pathetic attempt to fight it off.
Maloderous, it goes into hiding in the winter
and returns each spring.
I fight it off not with a sword
but with a silver scissors, clip clip clip
pretty green leaves hiding the true nature
of the beast
World domination!
I've thought of using poison,
but like cancer, it kills the
good cells and the bad.
Mint leaves, sweet woodruff, strawberries
that grow on a vine, smothering the tyrant
is what I hope to do.
Reminds me of someone I'll watch tonight
on The PBS Evening News Hour.
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