Sunday, August 21, 2011

Poem for Sunday, Animals, Logan's Run

Plural Happiness
By David Rivard

A curtain bellying like a pregnant cloud, warm white
light refracted through a tumbler of peat-smoked scotch—
a scorcher of a day at cooling end, with stupendous berries
to eat in lieu of supper, the scoffed pint box of blueberries
chased by a half of cantaloupe & Maytag blue cheese
spread across the remains of last night's baguette—
a plural happiness—I feel encouraged for all
within range—even the hang-gliding error that sent
Jesus spiraling down to earth seems a commitment.
Tomorrow we'll go to Alison's wedding, who
at age 2 & 3/4 attended our wedding 26 years ago,
her blond curls a mystery to be held up & photographed
between her mother & father dark-haired Diane & Larry—
in the riddle of our recessive genes once in a while
something surprising waits for anybody out & about.
Like hearing for the first time a blind preacher or waking
in a Gros Vent campground south of Jenny Lake,
the best happiness is always accidental,—& why not?
I was going to say something about boundlessness
back there (or was it getting gassed I meant?), but that
isn't it exactly either. Tho it is pretty close. Close
enough. And real. Real enough, & sure. God it felt good
to heat water on a primus stove while yawning
and to wash my face in cold Gros Vent & love Michaela.

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Saturday was a chore day -- we had stuff to do in the house in the morning and took the kids out for their least favorite activity, clothes shopping, after lunch. Daniel knows he needs clothes for college but tried to insist that he can wear sweatshirts and his (three fitting) pairs of sweatpants every day; we abused him by forcing him to try on other pants, and Adam got some sweatpants too. Then we stopped to get Adam painting supplies (which I think cost more than the painting class) and kitty litter.

At dinner (veggie lasagna, which Daniel did not love) we realized that our kids had never seen Logan's Run, so we spent the evening watching that (no point in watching the Nationals, who did not score a single run against Philadelphia). Given that it's older than Star Wars, it holds up extremely well, even the special effects -- the carousel is still entirely creepy and though the women's roles could be stronger, it has many elements that have been swiped by every sci-fi show I've watched in the years since it was made. More county fair animals:















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