Friday, February 06, 2009

Poem for Friday

Little White Truck
By Jessica Greenbaum


Because the white truck traveling the span of the Williamsburg Bridge
could be the white fastener traveling the top of a zip-lock bag,
the East River and tugs might be contained without spilling
in today's October light, along with this new spray of trees and
picnic tables which appeared when the industrial tide of Williamsburg
went out. If these could be contained, then likewise the two cyclists,
now dismounted and steadying their bikes as they kiss, and surely
it could hold the music they heard last night eddying again
around their thoughts, and the memory of their first idea of the
future, loosed when he held her in a doorway lit by cobwebs of spring rain.

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I woke up very early -- can't even blame the cats, I was just awake -- yet I completed pretty much nothing today except the half a laundry that can be done without a dryer (which is getting replaced in the next 48 hours, but some things just had to get done). I got some toiletries but otherwise did not even accomplish any shopping. Perkypaduan and I were going to have lunch but we decided to postpone till Tuesday. In other words, yeah, I have nothing to report, except my kids' report cards were pretty good and my cats like to spend chilly days moving from vent to bed to lap whenever possible.


This is my very favorite thing at the Ellicott City Scale Model Railroad Association show last weekend: a miniature Uffington White Horse in a display representing the English countryside (there were sheep, too).


A retired, overgrown C&O Railroad car miniature...


...and a mill and water wheel from the same model train display.


Miniature children swimming in the river and swinging from a rope on a tree.


I love the little bridges that go over the river, too.


The Japanese high-speed train display has footbridges and a temple as well as Godzilla and Mothra.


And of course there is a circus train, complete with a large circus!


There is something undeniably thrilling about seeing a model train come zipping out of a miniature tunnel.


You know, Smallville was so good for the early part of this season, though I found it odd how the somewhat large regular cast came and went and actually wondered whether they had signed everyone but Tom Welling to half-season contracts. Now I'm sure of it; we haven't seen Lois or Jimmy in weeks, we only see Tess every other week, and Oliver, who was AWOL much of the early part of the season, is now around and shirtless regularly. The latter should be a good thing, but who in the world thought it was a good idea to make Lana a superhero? Even if they only did it as an excuse to break her and Clark up (which of course necessitated getting them back together)? I cannot even articulate what a disappointment the past two weeks' episodes have been! It's like they regressed Clark five seasons, and Kristin Kreuk still can't act! I want Lois and Chloe front and center, not being jerked around by superhero boys, and I want Lana gone, or I will be.

As much as I did not enjoy that show, however, I loved Treasure Quest's "Return to the Legend" on Discovery -- how the Odyssey team identified and began to salvage the 1744 HMS Victory, "the Death Star of its age." I know there is controversy both over who should own the naval artifacts and the methods used by private salvage companies to look for valuables in shipwrecks, but it's still amazing to watch them bring up the cannons from this long-lost ship.

Oh, and I know everyone on LiveJournal has already linked to the Torchwood miniseries trailer, but man does it make me wish that show would be on for 13 weeks instead of just the one!

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