On The Thingness of Space

     I've been working in my old home-office for the past few days.  In spite of the junk issues with this space, it feels good sitting here at this old computer     

     Cleaning off my old computer desk and side table, I found abandoned notes made several years ago while cleaning out the houses of people who had died without heirs.

     One should not be surprised by what they see or smell or hear while working alone in the thingness of a house whose people have passed, never to return.

Today I resuscitate and probate three of these scenes, with voices, below.

HATS

A man falls heir to a collection of hats.

He picks through a dozen of them and

finds two that fit his head 

in a style

most becoming.

TROUBLE SLEEPING

The public radio news assails him for getting fat.

His nose hairs are attracting too much attention.

The man has trouble sleeping when

someone sends him a cruciform butt plug.

He has stopped shaving his face in the morning.

He is becoming one of the hairy gray old ones.

CROWS WE ARE

Today he is a black crow

spotting shiny objects

in the wake of someone's being.

Eyes brighten and fingers grasp like claws

at scissors and hats and colored glass things,

small objects that make him feel good.

~ ~ ~

Halloween in Two Parts

PART ONE

The Costume Party: October 27, 2012

On the Saturday evening before Halloween, as Hurricane Sandy was rambling up the east coast of Florida toward New York and New Jersey, Pam and I hosted a Costume Party in Sarasota, Florida.  

Front door scare crow

Party night was windy enough (gusts of 40 - 60 mph) to keep the scare crow's hat tipping into his face. But, otherwise, the east coast hurricane offered few minor problems for us wind-wise 

southwestern Floridians.

Our handsomely attired guests arrived promptly .

Not all guests tendered simple questions.

But soon enough, as often happens in Florida, 

all questions were forgotten and the fun began.

That's when Mr. Everything's Hot Red Pepper

 grabbed a couple of beauties.

Our sober young chaperone seemed amused

 by the buffooneries of average senior citizens.

Some of us ate like we were in Paradise. Others ate not.

God knows how we enjoyed munching the finest of finger foods

 Until certain guests began begging for

 a second scoop of kitty litter cake

then 

with party graces strained

or bombed

bed time came early...

earlier than usual 

here in Florida.

And our guests departed. 

And everybody got home safely.

PART TWO

All Hallows Evening: October 31, 2012

We don't see many young Trick and Treaters celebrating Halloween in this neighborhood of southwestern Florida. We received a scant 9 kids at our front door begging for treats, see all 9 below. 

Our Halloween Party costumery got me thinking about our personal Halloween differences; about how we have seen ourselves through the years, how we chose how to project ourselves into and through this world, and how we might possibly be seen by a world of others. 

I'd guess you can assess Halloween based on numerous childhood experiences. You may recall the insane delight/disappointment of returning home with pillow cases full/empty of candy. Or maybe your memories come from such thrills as soaping windows or lighting stink bombs on front steps? Or perhaps you think first of that special Halloween costume you chose to wear.

Do you still favor that special appearance? Do you still get more than you give?

But, costume wise and otherwise, just look here at some differences in presentation and decorum 

a few years of accumulated Halloweens can make here in Florida! 

Our precious young neighbors!

~ ~ ~