• Hop a freight train
• New Orleans (or Memphis) to Chicago by train
• Work in a carnival or circus
• Learn a dying trade (uphosterer? cobbler? mason? tanner? blacksmith?…)
• Explore Egypt
• - Ride camel
• See the Northern Lights (Alaska? Norway? Finland?)
• Brew beer or hard liquor
• Send (release?) a message in a bottle (that the receiver would hopefully treasure)
• Romance (love notes in tree trunks etc.)
• Attend Bonnaroo/Glastonbury/some other large music event
• See The White Stripes live
• Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds live
• Attend the Delta Blues and Heritage Festival
• Run with the bulls / Spain / bullfighting / Hemingway
• Work on a ranch in Texas (or visit for a decent time frame, at least)
• Speak a second language fluently (pick up French again?)
• Own (restore?) a classic car
• Become a Doctor of ________
• Participate in a seance
• Become intimately familiar with [Native American] customs / traditions
• Tattoo
• Get motorcycle|pilot’s license
• Work as a bartender
• (Can-can/burlesque/cabaret?…)
• Invent something historic/saves lives
• Hunt, prepare, and eat game (not fish)
• Own a jukebox full of 45s
• Perform on-stage
• Attend an opera
• Write something worth submitting somewhere
• Hitchhike

To be continued…

paralyzed shy with the horizon
wrapped, she heats
[sheets! hammer-sob stammer.]
her braying, barren plane
kindle to dry-twig blame.
hollowest hollow chest
cheaps and chirps
wind chime cries for any coming-he,
while Flame grows and leaps
in his rivering sleep.

wrapped, her loss to burn
(toss and turn,
toss and turn…)

crepes, champagne, chocolate, Keef

family and flurries

Agitate the Gravel - To leave (hot-rodders)
Ankle-biter - A child
Ape Used with go - to explode or be really mad
Are you writing a book? - You’re asking too many questions

Baby - Cute girl, term of address for either sex
Back seat bingo - Necking in a car
Bad news - Depressing person
Bash - Great party
Bent eight - a V-8 engine (hot-rodders)
Big Daddy - An older person
Big tickle - Really funny
Bit - An act
Blast - A good time
Blow off - To defeat in a race (hot-rodders)
Bobbed - Shortened
Boss - Great
Bread - Money
Bug “You bug me” - to bother
Burn rubber - To accelerate hard and fast (hot-rodders)

Read More →

We packed a small bag and packed ourselves into coats, hats, scarves, and gloves. After walking by the wizened stone buildings we made our way across the open circle, where a few coatless sentinels guarded the perimeter. Small groups of silhouettes stood here and there, and one reclined in the snow, settled in for the night. The moon was already turning a pale red in the revealing sky.

We stopped awhile and stood mute under a tree at the north end, then carried on — under the tower, by the back fields, across the resting street, and finally through the gateway of the walk. Here fewer footsteps had passed, so we left a strange trail in the snow on either side of the path; my small left boot and his right, like a bow-legged giant in mismatched footwear.

Taking our usual route up to our spot, he led me past the wintered brush and helped as I stepped up onto the ledge. We rounded the corner and walked by one, two, three round columns; then he unfolded the faded blanket and we gingerly sat, our feet dangling over the edge, our backs already sensing the creeping cold of the concrete we leaned against.

With plenty of time to sit and stargaze, he pulled out some speakers and a woman’s wailing blues began to haunt the open air. Despite our closeness and the blanket pulled around our shoulders, it wasn’t long before we started passing a bottle back and forth for some extra warmth.

The snow below shone light bulb-yellow and we had to make telescopes with our hands to block out the unwanted glare. When the moon was veiled but for a fingernail-crescent, we took some turns spying at its brush mark topography through the binoculars – so heavy in our clumsy hands. As the moment drew nearer, the leaden orb steamed and smoked inside, grasped from behind by white radiance. We exchanged mystified glances, unsure of the exact moment of eclipse, but enchanted by the sight nonetheless. With liquor on our twin chimney breaths, our chapped lips met, delicate and purple from the cold. Then we packed up our things and made our way back through the streets, where frozen potholes awaited skater’s pirouettes.