LAST night a January wind was ripping at the shingles
over our house and whistling a wolf song under the
eaves.
I sat in a leather rocker and read to a six-year-old girl
the Browning poem, Childe Roland to the Dark
Tower Came.
And her eyes had the haze of autumn hills and it was
beautiful to her and she could not understand.
A man is crossing a big prairie, says the poem, and
nothing happens--and he goes on and on--and it's
all lonesome and empty and nobody home.
And he goes on and on--and nothing happens--and he
comes on a horse's skull, dry bones of a dead horse--
and you know more than ever it's all lonesome and
empty and nobody home.
And the man raises a horn to his lips and blows--he
fixes a proud neck and forehead toward the empty
sky and the empty land--and blows one last wonder-
cry.
And as the shuttling automatic memory of man clicks
off its results willy-nilly and inevitable as the snick
of a mouse-trap or the trajectory of a 42-centimetre
projectile,
I flash to the form of a man to his hips in snow drifts
of Manitoba and Minnesota--in the sled derby run
from Winnipeg to Minneapolis.
He is beaten in the race the first day out of Winnipeg--
the lead dog is eaten by four team mates--and the
man goes on and on--running while the other racers
ride, running while the other racers sleep--
Lost in a blizzard twenty-four hours, repeating a circle
of travel hour after hour--fighting the dogs who
dig holes in the snow and whimper for sleep--
pushing on--running and walking five hundred
miles to the end of the race--almost a winner--one
toe frozen, feet blistered and frost-bitten.
And I know why a thousand young men of the North-
west meet him in the finishing miles and yell cheers
--I know why judges of the race call him a winner
and give him a special prize even though he is a
loser.
I know he kept under his shirt and around his thudding
heart amid the blizzards of five hundred miles that
one last wonder-cry of Childe Roland--and I told
the six year old girl about it.
And while the January wind was ripping at the shingles
and whistling a wolf song under the eaves, her eyes
had the haze of autumn hills and it was beautiful
to her and she could not understand.
beautifil. simply beautiful.
Makes you wonder what is going through their minds
gels, The "becominghuman" link is fantastic. I shared it with friends. c.i.
cicerone imposter wrote:gels, The "becominghuman" link is fantastic. I shared it with friends. c.i.
Makes you feel kinda old don't it?
Not really, but progress is wonderful.
I laughed like an idiot through "disorder in the court". Must have taken me twice as long as normal to read it. Thanks
Also, that becominghuman link was cool (and a hell of a lot more entertaining than my copy of Donald Johnson's LUCY). Progress is wonderful.
Can I put this here, Geli?
It just goes to prove that people like GWBush has been detrimental in the onward progress of the human species.
Please do .... feel free any time
Here's some of my fine Texas representation -- from left, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Carole Keeton Strayhorn (father of Bush press secretary Scott McClelland -- it's just like the Mafia, isn't it?), Gov. Rick Perry at the podium, Sen. John Cornyn over his shoulder to the right, and the esteemed Kay Bailey Hutchison, far right:
There is a story that must be told
about children not growing old
about old men that drown in the cold
lacking will that once made them bold
turn your head
shield your eyes
your mind
cannot disguise
the look of sadness
pouring from your eyes
the black of heart
that give wars start
with their poisoned speech
that somehow makes you
part
of the anguish
they need
to make them feel
the darkness within
is somehow real
Merry Christmas Dubya
ACTUAL SENTENCES FOUND IN PATIENTS' HOSPITAL CHARTS
She has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.
Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.
On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared.
The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.
The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993.
Discharge status: Alive but without my permission.
Healthy appearing decrepit 69-year-old male, mentally alert but forgetful.
The patient refused autopsy.
The patient has no previous history of suicides.
Patient has left white blood cells at another hospital.
Patient's medical history has been remarkably with only a 40-pound weight gain in the past three days.
Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.
Between you and me, we ought to be able to get this lady pregnant.
Since she can't get pregnant with her husband, I thought you might like to work her up.
She is numb from her toes down.
While in ER, she was examined, X-rated, and sent home.
The skin was moist and dry.
Occasional, constant infrequent headaches.
Patient was alert and unresponsive.
Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid.
She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life, until she got a divorce.
I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy.
Both breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation.
Examination of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized.
The lab test indicated abnormal lover function.
The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a stockbroker instead.
Skin: somewhat pale but present.
The pelvic exam will be done later on the floor.
Patient was seen in consultation by Dr. Blank, who felt we should sit on the abdomen and I agree.
Large brown stool ambulating in the hall.
Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities
I really enjoyed the attorneys' questions.
