This paper butterfly was found among Walt Whitman's effects after he passed. Of the many known personalities of the past Mr. Whitman is one of the very few I would want to meet. Perhaps come to know. Said he: "...I feel so full of love. It's worse than when I was young."

 

“Film Noir“

Below,...I can see Richard Widmark getting out of that gigantic Hudson or whatever. He strolls over smiling to the gent peaking in the corner. He smoothly pulls out a .38 roscoe, and plugs the guy six times. He bends over still smiling'n sez, “…da boss sez no dice”. With that he shrugs walks to his Postwar-mobile. Lighting a Chesterfield drives away to have lunch with his favorite skirt at Luigi’s.

"Da Boss sez No dice."

“Justice”

Professor of Brunch @ Columbia University Robert Algernon Bunny or “Bob da Bunny” to his online fanbase. Here he comments on the state of national affairs.

Sez Prof. Bunny:
“...If them One Percent meat heads don’t get reasonable the lot of them will be meeting Mr. Guillotine’s handy invention. 'And I don’t mean maybe.”

 

December 16, 2018

  · 

Shared with Public

“…four kills”
Late this morning I was told by a neighbor there was another shooting on the block. I mercifully slept through this one. I actually heard the last one. The night before July 4th. I heard a life pointlessly extinguished.
Makes six shootings so far this year with four kills.

I went to the corner to bear witness as I do when this happens. Crime scene taped off in yellow. Those plastic little stand-up cards marking where the expended shell casings landed. This time the victim was wounded not killed.

No idea why he was shot.
The cops never talk, but do ask questions. The usual,…did I “see or hear anything” will I “be available later for further questions?”
The blessing is no Deaths. However this year six attempts, and four kills on the block. This is supposed to be a relatively safe area.
The key word is “relatively”.
Other parts of this City as I said last time are like Yemen.

Something I’ve notice over the past year.

Blood.
The look of blood on concrete.
In spring it keeps it’s deep redness for a time. In summer it sticks damp to the sidewalk as dark maroon then black. This till it fades by being walked over then flushed out by rain.
Now in winter it seems to flake after just a few hours in the freezing temps.
It was 29f/-1c at the time so it dried, and froze. Soon to be blown away in the wind.
Life in War Time.
Yes it is. Don’t delude yourself.
Many parts of this republic are in a state of War.

Comments:
Katharina Gentie

I... Can't really imagine what that is like

Sidney Smith

We live with this even stop thinking about it. We have to stay sane. It's just life in any large U.S. City now. I wish it would stop I wish it were not so.

Katharina Gentie

Of course you do. It's both totally sane and incredibly courageous of you to do so.

From a place as safe as Australia it's hard to hold in the mind for any length of time the 'everydayness' and ubiquity of this. The mind just doesn't want to accept a society, which has so many other choices at its disposal, willing to let this go on.  

And while I fully accept that anyone living through it finds it even even harder to comprehend this (and you express the struggle really well), I am honest enough to say I have no real idea what that is like. Me, in my happy, insanely privileged, Australian position.

Thank you for bearing witness. The toll that takes on you is immense - that I certainly can imagine.

Virtual hugs from afar, my friend.

.

 "Good"

This morning I portaled to just outside of Kittery Maine. Tuesday 11:47am April 22nd 1938. I had thought I'd be alone. I often like to wander the countryside of past eras. I happened on this family with car trouble.. They asked if I knew about engines. I said no. I was a writer. The older lady said, "...oh for them Colored newspapers?" I said,. "...in a way." We chatted,...they were a farm family. Generous they offered me some of their packed lunch.
"Anne Frank had a point, "People are at heart good".

A Comment from my old friend Peter.:

Peter Cedric Rock Smith

I live just ten miles south of Kittery, ME. A very charming town, and through which one must pass to access the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. During WWII, the shipyard built about a third of the American submarines used in that conflict. Though the shipyard is called the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, it's not actually in Portsmouth, NH at all, but is on the Maine side of the Piscataquis river.

Dear Santa you lying Bastard. You can make up for all the neat stuff you never got me,...mostly, by getting me this. A cool Neil Armstrong sweatshirt. Yeah he went to the Moon! ...he came back too. Make it 2X I likes it roomy. Also ya might want to use your Magic Juju to end Poverty Genocide, and Bad Vibes,...make ya self useful for a change.

"You Can Go Home Again",...you just can't live there.
I wanted to see my family especially those now gone. You're not supposed to do this. Not family,...mostly.
Last night I time portaled or shifted,...there's really no term for this yet.
I appeared in the driveway of my Aunt Sybil's house.

August 12th 1972 4:38 pm.

I walked up the drive to the yard. There they were. My Mother my Aunt Agnes Uncle Owen, and Aunt Sybil. It took a moment, but they recognized me. Uncle said, "...looks like you've come a long way."

"Yes,...46 years. It's almost Christmas 2018."

My Mom asked, "...Is everyone alright did you all do well did you have children?"

"...Yes, and no."

Aunt Sybil said, "He can't tell us what's going to happen." She smiled at me saying "I'm glad you remember us."

I whispered,..."I've missed you so."

I went home for 3 minutes 16 seconds.
I took a photo with a period "Instamatic".
I became a neon blue shimmer a flash then gone.

They never confided to me my visit to them. Being of the Greatest Generation they had an instinctive feel for temporal protocols.

Home.
I plugged the Dark Matter unit into my phone charger.
Showered. There's a residue. I made soup read emails sat by the window a while then slept.

Such an age of strange miracles.