Saturday, June 12, 2010

Poem for Saturday and Folk Fest Folk

The Apparent
By Linda Gregg


When I say transparency, I don't mean seeing through.
I mean the way a symbol is made when an X is drawn over O.
As the world moves when it is named. In the sense
of truth by consciousness, which we translate as opposites.
The space we breathe is also called distance.
Presence gives. Absence allows and calls,
until Presence holds the invisible, weeping.
Transparent in the way the heart sees old leaves.
As we become more like the hills by feeling.
I mean permanence. As when the deer and I
regard each other. Ah, there was no fear then.
When she went with her young from the meadow
back into the nearly night of the woods,
it was because the rain came down suddenly harder.

--------

It was not a terribly eventful Friday here. Daniel had his statistics final early in the morning, so I had to leave to pick him up before the morning traffic had fully dissipated (not that there is ever a time with no traffic on the Beltway). We had lunch together, then I sent him out to get some exercise before he went to chat with his friends on the computer while I wrote a review of Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Suspicions" -- sorry these have been so negative of late, I am remembering on this rewatching how mediocre Next Gen was during its very early and very late episodes, which is what stuck with me rather than how wonderful it was during seasons 3-5.

We had dinner with my parents, who had a cake in honor of Adam's graduation from middle school, which the kids get to celebrate with a luncheon and trip to King's Dominion but not a formal ceremony since the holding school apparently can't hold all the parents. I did not watch the first match of the World Cup, but we did watch the FIFA Kick-Off Celebration Concert on ABC, which was reasonably enjoyable; Shakira shaking her hips and lip-syncing isn't really my thing, and I don't get why Alicia Keys was singing about the glories of New York in Johannesburg, but I liked most of the music, though I hear Mandela's granddaughter was killed after the concert which makes it all rather sad. Hope everyone in Arkansas and that region is all right! Here are the last of my Washington Folk Festival photos:


The Foggy Bottom Morris Men waiting to perform with Ocean Orchestra.


A view of the craft show in the Bumper Car Pavilion.


The entrance to the Crystal Pool, which has not been open as a swimming pool since the amusement park closed...


...and the Dentzel Carousel, which still runs on weekends.


The food vendors set up early in the morning before the lunchtime picnic crowd arrived.


Rockville High School's pipers opened the festival, marching through the park before performing in the big tent.


A variety of colorful sea life was for sale in this craft booth.


Where but a folk festival can you get guitar, pan flute, and a bubble machine all in one place?

No comments: