A history moment

Today we drove a short eighteen miles to Brooklyn, Illinois. It’s a small village in Saint Clair County. Coincidentally there is another Brooklyn in Schuyler County closer to Peoria. Here’s a tidbit about Brooklyn from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: “Brooklyn was established in the 1820s across the Mississippi River from St. Louis and the slave state of Missouri. It was started as a settlement of African Americans escaping slavery, and later became the first black town in America to be incorporated.” 

There is a campaign currently to save the community, to ensure its history is not erased. It is on the list of the most endangered historic places in Illinois. It is not surprising that another place on the list is in Cairo Illinois: “Cairo’s history of housing insecurity dates to the aftermath of the Civil War when newly freed Black southerners flocked to the southernmost town in Illinois, a former stop on the Underground Railroad and an important staging area for the Union army. Cairo’s Black residents formed a vibrant community, but they also faced years of segregation, housing discrimination and poor living conditions.” (From landmarks.org/) In Cairo, they’re trying to save public housing.

Both of these communities have been victims of uneven opportunity and redlining over the years in vicious ways that can only be thought of in boardrooms and dark offices of hate. 

All those songs

Today was a light class day, Art, followed by English where one classmate gave a presentation about Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. I was able to offer that I may (or may not) have heard this song on the radio when it came out and I love how the kids always laugh like they're not sure if I'm kidding or not (how old is she?). Last week Bradley said I was lucky to have seen the movies during the Golden Age of Movies -- he meant the 1980s. God bless you, Bradley. And then in Anthropology, we talked about the Nigerian films we watched. Here's an interesting fact, Nigerian film -- Nollywood -- is the second in the world as far as producing films. India is number one and Hollywood is three. In Nigeria, the movie industry is the second highest money maker after agriculture. Fascinating. A very, very light class day. Jerry is home for the weekend, we are still awaiting rain. Here are some random campus photos and a poem. Be safe, be kind, sing a song.

The sparrows are in the vines and flowers

here where the wall grows and blooms.
It is all activity on a day like today, breezy
warm, the sun fighting clouds. Look here
just on the way to class all these colors
all those songs.

Happiness writes home

An older poem to share and a picture from Keukenhof, Holland. Both here because I am taking a night to watch something mindless after turning in all my final papers. There is still a book presentation and two small tests, but the larger papers are done. It is May, (and May the fourth be with you) and we are awaiting rain. Be safe, be kind, and ask what your happiness would write.

Happiness writes home

Here the weather is rain on tin-
roofs, an all-night jazz of thunder
& drizzle, owls chortle harmony
& spiders allow every third fly
reprieve. Beds are high
& under windows. Sheets line-dried
ooze sunlight into all my dreams.

When I wake the owls have transformed
night into biscuits & honey & the spiders
serve rainwater tea on silk & wings, & the tiny
tables of spent legs.

Day lasts as long as my attention
then as clouds disgorge stars, the moon reigns.

I slip back into places of reverie, things I’ve
lost: do you miss me?

April 30 NaPoWriMo ~~ Fini

Penny (L) and Mr. Fancy MauHaus Cat Cafe

At the cat café, I am immediately in violation of the rules

No picking up I am told so place Patrice on the table
where he looks at me smugly, no cuddles for you, he seems
to say. It’s like a bookstore here, so many interesting titles
if books wore fur and had these tails, but each cat has a story
and with time they will share some of their wonder and poetry.

Mr. Fancy is here with his sister, Annie, a bonded pair
hoping to be adopted together. Benny is a special wild child,
Celeste a one-eyed beauty and Big Boy trying to be a hard ass
but he can’t not come to people for attention: cat fail. I’m here
investigating, all of this is for a paper, I tell myself that the rest
of the day: all research, all research, all research.

 

Day 29 NaPoWriMo

My neighbor’s cat rolls under the car eyeing me
like I should join her. I scoff, the days of rolling
under cars are long over, though I consider it, she
looks so comfortable in the shade her golden eyes
half closed. Around her like snowflakes the petals
of the dogwood flutter, drifting against her copper
body before flying away. I try to coax her out,
but she is not interested in me. I don’t blame her,
often I am not that interested in me either. But I like
the cat and I like the confetti from the dogwood
and the sun that cuts through the lime-colored
leaves and the fact that the breeze is carrying
the whole day minute by minute and it all
feels good.

Day 28 NaPoWriMo

The geese have decided, these last few days of class

that the quad in the morning is the best place to pace

looking for wayward or late students. Surprise! I

tell them, the students are not here, the day too

beautiful, the sun too warm, and the sparrows' song

so high and lovely that they have galloped off

as though the pied piper has played that secret note.

Everyone is ignoring classes, grades

and certainly, geese marching up and down the walk.

Day 26 and Day 27 NaPoWriMo

These are cheater poems, rewritten/rethought/shuffled from other poems. Because? So much writing for these last few weeks of school. It'll all be over by May 17th, still have half a book for Lit, two more exams, three papers, and one film review. And if there is time the Diversity Club is having a Drag Social Saturday on campus! And, and, for that oh yes, today: goldfinch dining on dandelions in the lawn, so much gold. 

Duplicate

During the copy process
when pixels replicate page to glass
to page – one meditates –
counts the fan flutter of paper
like heartbeats, enjoys the slow shuffle
from tray to tray.

A system of clone-age, original
to replica; the knowledge
that even god can’t do this.

Waiting for Bardot

Summer takes one season
to bring full garden; call forth fruit;
get a calf to weaning.

Why does this mirror
take so long to grant curves?