Arriving late but I made it . You weren't already betting against me, right? Mary's honors exam was today, so I needed the morning to prepare, even as my part, as Chair, was to let the others ask questions before me. Two hours later, I left off with one question about the trajectory of the collection and let that stand. She's heard from me all year; it's enough. After so much hard work and all the doubt that comes with the honors process she landed on her own two feet. The exam went excellently. I'm very happy for her.
***
Thinking tonight as I unlocked my back door and walked up the back stairs about Trystan and Sage growing up with synthetic grass. Why this ache for grass if otherwise decorative rock, if green lawns--golf resorts--are the wastelands of the desert.
***
Because tumbling in the uneven grass of our tiny front lawns and itching terribly after. Because digging up weeds, a buck for a bucket, and smelling dirt and watching bugs creep out, silver fish and leaf hoppers. Because the smell of pesticides lingering with the smell of carnations, marigolds, roses, juniper. Because clover, flowering, bringing bees and white butterflies, pushing up three leaved things, sweet, cool, pushing up a sometimes four. Because belly flat on the grass watching drops of water from the sprinkler land in front of me I. Because liking grass, loving sand, just over the wall by the river.
***
from the Annunciation notebook, April 27, 2003, 5:46 pm:
from an email from Luis Urrea:
Run! Be brave. Carry many arrows and some water. As Echo and the Bunnymen said: never stop!***
Loyally,
The Old Bastard
