Monday, April 28, 2008

Surreal

I finished Priscilla Becker's Internal West a couple of days ago. She has the same immediate and profound effect that Louise Gluck has on me. It took me three sittings to finish it. Emotions kept washing me away.

I'm also in the middle of Franz Wright's God's Silence, and contemplating how perfect it is when he begins the poem "Lines Written in the Dark Illegible Next Day" with "Apple alone in a bowl."

Yesterday, I took Frank Stanford's The Light the Dead See to keep me company while I sat on a couch in a bridal shop and watched Jojo try on prom dresses.

Tom's home from college for the summer, coming and going like a cat, at will. He made it back this morning in time to show Gene his two new earrings and explain the details of how his friends pierced his ears. Gene called me later to tell me about the dead coyote he saw on the side of the road.

12 comments:

Talia Reed said...

You read poetry while Jojo tried on prom dresses? Charmi. Put that stuff down. Speaking of prom, I'm so sick of it! It's the talk at all of the schools I've been subbing at, and looking at it from a grown adults perspective and listening to the conversations, and not having a teenager of my own, I no understanding of how small the world is in which these kids live (not talking about Jojo here).

One student (a very good-looking and popular athlete was contemplating how awful it would be to be paralyzed and in a wheelchair...then he said, "can you imagine having to go to prom in a wheelchair?"

What's that about a cyote?

Charmi said...

No, no. It's cool. Jojo knows who her mother is. It can't be helped. She'll probably need counseling some day...

And the coyote, apparently he was dead.

Talia Reed said...

I hear we've got a bit too many of those coyotes.

Talia Reed said...

I have really sloppy typing skills...honestly, I know better, I do.

Rachel said...

Well, the vast amount of teenagers are idiots (also not referring to Jojo). The good-looking and popular athletes are a particularly idiotic brand of idiot.

Charmi said...

I'd like to see a few more coyotes, but I like that sort of thing.

I went to prom twice, and hated it both times.

Jojo is going to the prom with a group of girls, although she is thinking of asking this guy she knows from Max's dog obedience class at 4-H. She's been in classes with him for two years but he's shy and she's never found out his name. She's also never been on a date before. The month of May promises to be interesting.

Talia Reed said...

Oh! Tell her I said she should do it! She should ask him. Because:
a) the worst is he can say "no." and he probably would be relieved and delighted that she asked him.
b) guys that are in 4-H are typically a good catch. (not that I've dated any, but from my point of view, they seem to be pretty dedicated and passionate (not that Charmi wants either of that for Jojo in a guy).

Charmi said...

Oh, yeah, she's going to do it.

I'm not sure Jojo's interested in "catching" anyone, though. She has her life planned out, from bachelor's degree to master's degree to Peace Corps... Men are still fairly superfluous at this point for her.

R. Sanford said...

Yes, well, are we ever anything more to anyone? ;)

I was angsty and 'non-conformist' in HS so I avoided prom like as I might a Leper Convention. I did end-up going to my senior prom, and didn't hate it but overall it was pretty dull.

Rachel said...

Ryan, the answer is no. And I had a blast at prom. You'll all be shocked, no doubt, to find out I went dateless...a lot of my friends did. We were the party crew, but we did get chastised for our "style" of dancing. Interestingly, though I went to a public school, the sponsors told us to "leave room for the Holy Spirit." I love that. I'm going to use it in a poem someday. If I ever write another poem. /Okay, insane babbling done./

Talia Reed said...

I think Rachel and Ryan should post some of their prom pics on their blog. And Charmi too if she has any.

Rachel said...

HA. That will NEVER happen. I think prom was the last time I wore a dress, though...anyway, I'm not sure I have pics, though my friend Lisa has a HILARIOUS video.