Poem for Saturday and Big Zoo Critters

The Hour Until We See You
By Brenda Hillman

When we part, even for an hour,
you become the standing on the avenue
baffled one, under neon,
    holding that huge
red book about the capital— ;

    what will you be in the next hour,
  — bundled to walk
through creamy coins from streetlamps
on sidewalks to your car, past
    candles reflected in windows, while
mineral sirens fade in the don't
return,— driving home past
   pre-spring plum blossom riot
moments of your thought...

          Those trees rush to rust leaves,
each a time-hinge with great energy—
   they can't bear inexactitude.
News of revolts in the squares —there—
  & here, the envious have gone to cafés
  to speak in order to leave things out—
      Love, literature is in flames,
  it was meant to be specific—;
   you have driven past these rooms
ten thousand times to make your report;
make your report;
 never forget how you felt—

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I talked to my TrekToday editor and we agreed that I should review Deep Space Nine again from the top -- 18 years after it originally aired (I remember well missing the season two premiere because I was giving birth to Daniel). So Retro Reviews will return next Friday and will undoubtedly feature a lot more squee than the last batch, because I have pretty much unreserved love for the first two seasons of DS9 and I'm betting the things that bugged me in seasons 3-5 won't bug me as much this time around. I am just bummed that Daniel, who likes Star Trek, will be away at college for most of it, while Adam, who does not like Star Trek, will undoubtedly tell me everything he thinks is stupid about it if I can convince him to watch at all.

Otherwise, my Friday was pretty quiet. I did some writing, made some earrings, took an early walk because Paul was going out to College Park to pick up Daniel who decided he wanted to come home to break the fast -- not that any of us are fasting -- with the family friends with whom we and my parents always celebrate on Yom Kippur. So we had dinner with my parents before they went to Kol Nidre services, then came home and watched Nikita and the return of Sanctuary, both of which seemed full of plot holes to me but I watch for the awesome women (and Peter Wingfield in period costume) so I am not really complaining. Also we watched baseball, but I don't actually care who wins since it won't be the Yankees. Here are the Maryland Zoo's chimpanzees and polar bears from when I visited last month:

















Fannish5: Five favourite Evil Animals (e.g. Familiars or just plain rabid animals)
1. The Snake, Genesis
2. Growltiger, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
3. The Crocodile, Peter Pan
4. Scar, The Lion King
5. Flotsam & Jetsam, The Little Mermaid

Have an easy fast if you are fasting. And if I owe you an apology, please let me know.