speak to me of Themistocles, and Alexander, and Clovis of the Franks . . .
spring is not here and the ocean at my feet
speaks only of further storms
let the ships of Carthage come
i do not tremble before any of Hannibal's hordes.
I have been reading a lot of history lately. Just basic western-history-of-the-world stuff; it's a good idea to refresh yourself on the basics before you get down to particulars. Van Loon's History of Mankind is a pretty excellent book for doing that. I know it's somewhat below my reading level, but I don't care; it's been so long since school and I've forgotten so much.
Now spring ought to be here, but it's not, only rain and fog and further confusion. It's a slow train comin' round the bend, maybe, but never getting here. And I never was so anxious for warm weather as I am this year. Hot summer nights, snowballs at the stand in town, tiny town carnivals with bright tacky lights by night, walking down the main street of a one-bank town with every one and their dog out on a warm summer night. Fresh basil, and sunshine, and early morning walks when the earth is still trembling with the heat of the day before. Crab feasts with the boys across the way, and lots of beer. It's a different place, this small-town America. I am grateful to be living in it. It feels as if it were from another time.
A note to all you history ppl., Lindsey mainly: They found St. Exupery's plane in about a hundred pieces off the coast of France. The French police matched the serial number. So now the mystery is solved, part-way, although no one will ever know exactly why he crashed. I like to think he went off to explore with the little prince, although that is very wistful and childish.
We lost too many beautiful men too early in the last century. And the last twenty centuries, for that matter . . .
speaks only of further storms
let the ships of Carthage come
i do not tremble before any of Hannibal's hordes.
I have been reading a lot of history lately. Just basic western-history-of-the-world stuff; it's a good idea to refresh yourself on the basics before you get down to particulars. Van Loon's History of Mankind is a pretty excellent book for doing that. I know it's somewhat below my reading level, but I don't care; it's been so long since school and I've forgotten so much.
Now spring ought to be here, but it's not, only rain and fog and further confusion. It's a slow train comin' round the bend, maybe, but never getting here. And I never was so anxious for warm weather as I am this year. Hot summer nights, snowballs at the stand in town, tiny town carnivals with bright tacky lights by night, walking down the main street of a one-bank town with every one and their dog out on a warm summer night. Fresh basil, and sunshine, and early morning walks when the earth is still trembling with the heat of the day before. Crab feasts with the boys across the way, and lots of beer. It's a different place, this small-town America. I am grateful to be living in it. It feels as if it were from another time.
A note to all you history ppl., Lindsey mainly: They found St. Exupery's plane in about a hundred pieces off the coast of France. The French police matched the serial number. So now the mystery is solved, part-way, although no one will ever know exactly why he crashed. I like to think he went off to explore with the little prince, although that is very wistful and childish.
We lost too many beautiful men too early in the last century. And the last twenty centuries, for that matter . . .