On the Corner

One an' two an' three an' twirl. That's my rhythm
this afternoon. I don't complain even though
it's god awful hot out here. Almost a hundred
an' two degrees yesterday. "All you can eat
Pizza buffet, lunch special!" Seems you'd
want a guy drivin' by to read the sign, but
they got us spinnin' and shakin' and dancin' it
around. Not that I'm complainin'. I need the job.
There's talk of closin' the plant where Mama works.

Yeah, young guys like me don't do the jobs guys
used to do. My Grampa was a printer. He learned how at
the newspaper up north in Tacoma. He tells me 'bout
how they had him luggin' around stacks of paper
hundred pounds each an' clankin' an' pullin' an'
hummin' all kinds of machines. He was thirteen when
he started. Long time ago, Mama took me to the shop, but
I don't remember. She says he always had his head stuck in a
press - inkin' it up or scrubbin' it down - punchin' buttons
and checkin' papers as they spit out the other side.
She says one press was the size of our house! Mama says
in the old days, Grampa used to smell like ink when
he came home at night - an' his sausage sized fingers
got stained black from mixin' all day. They used to
scoop blobs of ink from big tins an' plop it on
an old printin' plate an' mix it all around 'til it
was just the right color. That's how they did it way
back then. Now the colors come ready mixed, I guess.

Yeah, sure is hot out here. But I smile an' pretend
this is the best job in the world. At least I'm gettin' a
good work out. Plus I can listen to my I-Pod all day.
Kelton says he's quitting. I'll see if I can get his
shift too. Gotta work on a new routine, though. Can't
be twirlin' and flippin' all Saturday. Gotta pace myself.

Karen, I really did try....

I wanted to tell
you how much I loved the haiku
and anti-haiku.

my first comment was
poetic and brilliant,
but it would not post.

the second and third
i admit were cheap copies
of the original

those deserved to be
sucked into the nothingness
of the black hole where

my comments seem to
be flying into at warp
speed - condemned to die

and after two days
of this, i realized that
i could tell you here

that i loved your poems,
the brilliant fall out and
into a haiku.

Dreams...

Darkness enveloped the mountain hamlet. Pricking the tops of the thick evergreens, thousands of stars pierced the blue black sky. The night was clear and crisp and ominously quiet. As I jogged along the shoulder of the winding barren highway that snaked through the thick forest of sixty foot pines, streaks of white light brushed across the horizon. "A meteor shower," I thought. But the streaks didn't burn out. Then I realized that thousands of silver discs - no larger than a dinner plate - were frantically zig-zagging and descending onto the town. As the discs zipped by, barely grazing my head, I dropped to the ground. "Play dead," I thought, "and maybe they'll go away." But my quick and shallow breaths didn't go unnoticed; a disc returned and hovered over me. Reigning in my panic, I tried to keep still. "Be roadkill," I thought. "Maybe they'll just think you're a dead animal." And then, as if responding to the flip of a switch, a compartment popped open on the disc and out whirred a needle. I knew I couldn't hide my DNA. If the machine - or whatever it was - got a sample... On a visceral impulse, I grabbed the disc and smashed it into the asphalt until the disc shattered.

And that was only half of the dream. In the rest of the dream, for the most part, I was buying rugged hiking boots and camping equipment for my family so that we could hide in the woods by a crystal clear lake in order to escape from the impending alien attack.

So taking my lead from Jane D., of course I went over to dreammoods.com to see what they had to say.

Running
To dream that you are running alone, signifies that you will advance to a higher position and surpass your friends in the race for wealth. Alternatively, you may be running from some situation or from temptation. Or it may also mean that you need to hurry up in making a decision.

Forest
To dream that you are in or walking through the forest, signifies a transitional phase.Follow your instincts. Alternatively, it indicates that you want to escape to a simpler way of life. You are feeling weighed down by the demands of your life.

UFO
To see a UFO in your dream, signifies your desires to find your spiritual purpose in life. Alternatively, it indicates that you are feeling alienated from those around you. The dream may also be a metaphor suggesting that you are a little "spacey" or have "spaced out" attitude. You need to be more grounded and come back to reality.

Needle
A needle is also symbolic of some emotional or physical pain. To dream that someone is using a needle, suggests that you need to incorporate and join together various aspects of your consciousness.

Camping
To dream that you are camping, indicates a need for relaxation and a long-deserved break. You need to be more in touch with nature and go back to a more basic and simpler life. Alternatively, it refers to your social circle and support group. You are looking for a sense of belonging, but at the same time be self-sufficient and independent.

Lake
To see a lake in your dream, signifies your emotional state of mind. You feel restricted or that you are unable to express your emotions freely. Alternatively, the lake may provide you with solace, security, and peace of mind. If the lake is clear and calm, then it symbolize your inner peace. If the lake is disturbed, then you may be going through some emotional turmoil.

watermelon

Watermelon. Watermelon. Watermelon. Watermelon. Watermelon.

When my students don't know what to write, I tell them to write a paragraph of "watermelon."

Not sure why I picked that word - except that I was once told that if I am singing in a choir and forget the words, then I should mouth "watermelon" to cover it up.

Four weeks ago I had a garage sale. Actually, I didn't plan to have a garage sale. I was simply cleaning out my garage. But I was sorting through so much junk in the driveway that people *thought* I was having a garage sale. So I let people rifle through my stuff - even my garbage pile - and I took their money. And I made 50 bucks.

Four weeks ago, school started. I'm back teaching in my old room at my old school. I hate to say anything because I don't want to jinx myself, but classes are going well. Could it be that some of the new classroom management techniques I've employed this year are really working?! Nah. Truth is that God was watching out for me when the schedules were made because I didn't get any of the trouble makers. Although I do have 26 boys and only 6 girls in my first period class... Somehow it works regardless. In fact, only one third of my 162 students are girls. Crazy. Mostly I'm thankful that I don't have the students that are in the room next door. She's had to have security escort students to the office almost every day since school started.

Last week, I ran a 5K. Poetroad beat me by a minute. Iron Girl beat me by 20 seconds. Still, Iron girl and I placed 5th and 6th respectively in our age group. Obviously I have some training to do so that I soundly leave Iron Girl in the dust in our next race. Definitely we will have to sign up for another 5k. She hates running the 5K. I need *something* to work in my favor. Perhaps I should stop eating chocolate too.

Last week, a girl that was kidnapped over 18 years ago was found alive in Antioch. Ironically, her story is freakishly similar to the premise of the story I wrote, but never published, for the last Clarity contest. At the time, I was thinking that the plot was too implausible. Now I know that it's not. Scary.