August 11, 2017
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Jazz Fest 2016
upon hearing
jazz take flight
from the trees
in the forest
improvise
intricate
evasive
percussive
cacophonous
complications
to the bass line
hang on tight
Jazz Fest 9/2/16 at Millennium Park:
Tarbaby with Oliver Lake;
Benny Golson Quartet;
and Charlie Haden's Liberation Orchestra conducted by Carla Bley
jazz take flight
from the trees
in the forest
improvise
intricate
evasive
percussive
cacophonous
complications
to the bass line
hang on tight
Jazz Fest 9/2/16 at Millennium Park:
Tarbaby with Oliver Lake;
Benny Golson Quartet;
and Charlie Haden's Liberation Orchestra conducted by Carla Bley
Sorting Laundry
The elevator dings as the doors slide open. Surprised, 7C straightens before stepping in, eyes narrow with a small quick nod at 16D, baskets of dirty laundry going down between them. 16D takes a step back to make more room for the cart.
7C breaks eye contact first, glances down and notices 16D’s Turkey Trot shirt crumpled on top. Looking back up, observes aloud, “I see you’re still running.” 16D’s lips had been parted to speak, but snap shut with a puff of air, erasing whatever conventional platitude had been there. Instead replies, “Yeah, getting ready for the Cinco de Miler. Five miles you know, not a 5K,” but trails off, remembering too late that was the last time they had run together.
Insult now added to old injury, 7C recalls the painful Achilles heel that ended it all. Silence limps along with them through the narrow hall to the laundry room. 16D lags behind allowing 7C to have the first pick of the washers, relieved the Big Boy double wasn't one of them.
“It took months of therapy, you know,” 7C says quietly, “getting over it.” A pause to drop in five quarters, “I don’t think it will ever be quite the same,” adding detergent and bleach to the dispenser, sliding it closed, selects whites and presses start. The Big Boy is already shifting from pre-wash to the main cycle. “Hmmm,” 16D concedes while setting the iPhone timer for 30 minutes, “it can take a long time.”
Starting to edge for the door, 16D stops and asks, “Do you miss it? The running I mean,” and turns a little pink for the second time. 7C considers. “No, not really, I never really liked the running. It was always a slog. But I do sometimes miss how I felt after. Riding the glow while catching my breath. Feeling my heart beat slow down and my pulse recover.” With a little laugh, smiles and shrugs, “I haven’t found anything that quite compares, yet,” and moves on to the colors.
7C breaks eye contact first, glances down and notices 16D’s Turkey Trot shirt crumpled on top. Looking back up, observes aloud, “I see you’re still running.” 16D’s lips had been parted to speak, but snap shut with a puff of air, erasing whatever conventional platitude had been there. Instead replies, “Yeah, getting ready for the Cinco de Miler. Five miles you know, not a 5K,” but trails off, remembering too late that was the last time they had run together.
Insult now added to old injury, 7C recalls the painful Achilles heel that ended it all. Silence limps along with them through the narrow hall to the laundry room. 16D lags behind allowing 7C to have the first pick of the washers, relieved the Big Boy double wasn't one of them.
“It took months of therapy, you know,” 7C says quietly, “getting over it.” A pause to drop in five quarters, “I don’t think it will ever be quite the same,” adding detergent and bleach to the dispenser, sliding it closed, selects whites and presses start. The Big Boy is already shifting from pre-wash to the main cycle. “Hmmm,” 16D concedes while setting the iPhone timer for 30 minutes, “it can take a long time.”
Starting to edge for the door, 16D stops and asks, “Do you miss it? The running I mean,” and turns a little pink for the second time. 7C considers. “No, not really, I never really liked the running. It was always a slog. But I do sometimes miss how I felt after. Riding the glow while catching my breath. Feeling my heart beat slow down and my pulse recover.” With a little laugh, smiles and shrugs, “I haven’t found anything that quite compares, yet,” and moves on to the colors.
slightly bow-legged
slightly bow-legged
he and the dog
pause and sniff
companionably
how many mornings do we circle
the same block before ambling on
he and the dog
pause and sniff
companionably
how many mornings do we circle
the same block before ambling on
April 21, 2017
Waiting for #36 Bus at dawn in front of Edgewater Branch Library
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