Emergency Kit

Remember last week, when I was talking about sprinting?


Well, here I am, sprinting again ... but don’t worry ... I’m not wearing spiked shoes ... and I’m not anywhere near a cindered track (Do those track meet facilities still have cindered tracks? Where would they get the cinders?)


I’m not even walking fast. My “sprinting” consists of concentrated activity, usually at a keyboard, for a short period of time ... and that interval is usually governed by how many messages I receive from my back.


So I’m “sprinting” ... using small bursts of energy to advance toward a vaguely-defined goal ... likely the production of another installment of “Squiggles.”


I’m racing the clock.


-S&G-


Word from CATHY (Illinois) is that she recently attended the 63rd anniversary of her high school reunion ... Class of ‘46.


“We had enough of a crowd show up that they had to bring in extra chairs,” she reports. “It was great fun, conversing with the 80-year-olds ... and a few “almost 80" ... which included me and my twin sister, who will hit that milestone next December.


“High School Reunions are more fun each year you go back. In the eyes of the beholder, they are ‘always young’ and you’ve known them almost forever!


“The class clown is still funny, but he surprised us this year by doing a superb job of giving the blessing before the meal. His older brother, also in the same class, made the comment that the Father of his Parish would be amazed!


“Those two kept us laughing through four years of high school, and at every reunion (held every five years, except since our 60th, we meet for lunch every year). They came from Arizona and Pennsylvania ... and other far off points to meet once again ... hoping ‘ya’ all come back next year’!”


-S&G-


Recent word from LOREE (Kansas) ... “Well, today started with rain at 5 a.m. ... and a nutty dog (Dixie, due to thunder and lightning). We also had some wind ... it has rained over 2 inches here today ... that is GOOD! ... I’m ready to kick back and call it a day ... it’s thundering again, so you know what that means ... Dixie’s pill wore off hours ago. It’s time for my own evening meds, so I may as well take her along, and get prepared for what’s coming!”


(Oh, Loree ... I do hope you ... and Dixie ... have had some quiet interludes since then)


-S&G-


Remember those Burma Shave signs alongside the highway? I’m sure you never SAW any of them ... but I remember them from my own childhood ... and maybe you’ve HEARD about them.


Here’s a sample, courtesy of HELEN (Florida):


SHE
KISSED
THE 
HAIRBRUSH
BY 
MISTAKE
SHE 
THOUGHT
IT 
WAS
HER
HUSBAND
JAKE


- Burma Shave


-S&G-


Remember ... (courtesy of WALT, Ohio) ... “When a quarter was a decent allowance? ... and you’d reach into a muddy gutter for a penny?”


-S&G-


HANDY HINT #2 (Oops! I wonder if I misplaced #1) ... courtesy of RUTH (Florida) ... When giving distasteful medicine to young children, first run an ice cube over their tongue; this temporarily freezes the taste buds.


(I can tell ... just by appearances ... that Professor Squigglee is wondering if this would work with bad news, too ... you know, the kind that leaves a bad taste)


-S&G-


And how ... you ask ... is The Little Red Car these days? Oh, fine, as far as I can tell ... runs fine ... when the light changes to green, Little Red pops a wheelie and goes bouncing on down the highway with the Big Guys ... still ... when a warning light came on ... and stayed on ... we thought we’d better take Little Red back to its favorite garage.


Six or so hours later ... after Phyllis and I had worn out some shoe leather at a nearby mall ... and set a new world record for window shopping ... Little Red was ready to go again.


Despite two careful explanations from the technicians, I still don’t understand what the problem was ... but the warning light is off now ... and Little Red runs fine ... just like before. 


But we didn’t pop any wheelies on the way home ... though it would’ve been so easy ... given the lightness of my billfold at that point.


-S&G-


And now ... PANT-PANT ... puff-PUFF! ... I’ve “sprinted" all the way to this week’s poem ... and I’m about to go staggering off to a quiet, soft, shady place to cool down for the next race (I’ll beat that clock yet!)


Sometimes ... in case you haven’t noticed ... I start out talking reality, then take a sudden turn as the imagination kicks in. That’s the case with this particular poem ... originally published in Capper’s ... about 10 years ago, by the way.


Maybe not always ... but sometimes I do carry a spare poem to share along the way (fair warning ... if you see me coming, and you’ve had your quota of poetry for the day ... you might want to duck down the nearest alley ... otherwise ... )


The poem:


EMERGENCY KIT  


I always carry
a spare poem or two.
Who knows? I may
find a motorist
stranded, run out
of poetry somewhere
on a poemless road,
looking for rhyme,
if not reason,
in the scheme
of things, someone
in need of metaphor,
simile, structure,
a triolet, perhaps,
but mostly free verse,
free for the taking,
and this one's for you.
Enjoy. Pass it on.


-S&G-


COMMENT? Feel free ... below, if you like. 


Or if you prefer e-mail, that's fine, too ... especially for more detailed observations, to



rbrimm@peoplepc.com


... and it helps if you put "Squiggles" or "S&G" ... something like that ... in the subject line (just remember, no religion or politics ... please!)


-S&G-


UNTIL NEXT TIME ... take care ... see ya!


-S&G-
© 2009