Rhododendrons in full bloom, delicacy
challenging downpours to do their worst.
- Tree canopies have filled out, casting darker shadows where they fall, still all sharp edges. Later this week, adolescent bands will march like manic birds, all exotic plumage and harsh sound. Town beaches will reopen (for the extremely hardy) and state parks begin to charge fees for the privilege of trying to get away from the busy lives we hold so dear.
- Already pompous speeches about future hopes for young generations have been spoken at colleges. Tests have been mostly taken at the high schools, and students anticipate routines without instruction for a while. We once more pretend to follow an agricultural cycle from our ancient heritage that no longer really has any place in how we actually live.
Considering population density around here,
just one discarded beer can on a beach is almost acceptable.
- Remember those who fought for freedom. Salute the honored flag. Rejoice in our exceptional form of government. Buy something to make consumer capitalism stronger. All that and more will blare from televisions, internet, paid event speakers, and various reading materials. All fervently believed, perhaps, at the moment spoken. All focused on the honored dead, being remembered with the solemn frivolity of barbeques and proclamations and holiday for the fortunate few.
- Lately those sentiments float on darker seas of manufactured worry. Politics has become a zero sum game of apocalyptic predictions _ do this or else. Once-educated and flexible minds have frozen into puerile mush spouting plastic bag slogans. Morality lingers in day to day activities, but has been cast aside by those with any grander ambition.
- We have been offered a grace period in a world of calamity and warfare. We have the tools to make things right. We have the knowledge to try to avoid the tragedies of history. But we do not have the simplest means to encourage sense in the minds of the stupidly rigid, nor agreement on common good nor control of insecure and amoral mongers of fear, who like jackals feed on other’s problems.
- Memorials can be soiled and tarnished and used for evil ends. Slogans may cheapen belief. And sometimes I am no longer thrilled by the tinsel pageantry of my contemporary culture.
Magnificent ancient bushes grace the ancient
yacht club _ all but the sight reserved for members
- Consider the lilies of the field, they toil not …
- Time to stamp out those cheating, free-loading lilies once and for all.
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