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MARY ANN MOSS

Scenes From A Porch

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Here are scenes from a porch.

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Which is where I spent much of the morning. Which is where I read this poem that made me laugh loudly out loud.


Variations On A Theme By William Carlos Williams

1
I chopped down the house that you had been saving to live in next summer.
I am sorry, but it was morning, and I had nothing to do
and its wooden beams were so inviting.
2
We laughed at the hollyhocks together
and then I sprayed them with lye.
Forgive me. I simply do not know what I am doing.
3
I gave away the money that you had been saving to live on for the
next ten years.
The man who asked for it was shabby
and the firm March wind on the porch was so juicy and cold.
4
Last evening we went dancing and I broke your leg.
Forgive me. I was clumsy and
I wanted you here in the wards, where I am the doctor!
by Kenneth Koch

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I read that several times over and laughed just as loud each time. Next, onto the novel. I keep being reminded of things while I read, remembering things, wondering about things, staring into space and thinking about things. Once jumping up to see where Grass Valley is on the map. (location of story) Then thinking of how great to drive there, leave RIGHT NOW, get a hotel room, and read the rest of the book. Take field trips during the day to places mentioned in the book. These distractions do not lead to speed reading. Oh well.
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Where I go, the cat posse follows. The porch is a perfect vantage point for watching bird landings and take-offs. Tactical maneuvers are conducted. All mentally of course. Calculations are made. If the effort involved is not too great, some running may be involved, or perhaps a few false starts up trees.
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Mostly there is resting.

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Comments

  4. Oh, do plan a jaunt to Grass Valley ASAP. It was my home before moving here to wretched Michigan. Be sure to see Ames Books in downtown GV but you’d prolly rather stay at the Outside Inn or one of the wonderful B&Bs in Nevada City, just 7 miles north. There are wonderful summer evening festivals in NC and the drive thru the forest from there to Truckee along Hwy. 20 is fab and smells delish.

  7. I laughed too. I love the view and your porch. Love the kitties too. We have a porch but I don’t generally get to sit out there in the summer. It’s usually 90 and you feel like you’re melting, too distracting for reading comfortably. Then there are those pesky mosquitoes, we really wanted to name them our state bird. Seems no one else would go for it at the state capital. LOL

  8. ah gee Mary Ann – I want to pull up a chair and read with you out there on that lovely porch – you do know how to do it rightly – and so do your kitties – peas in a pod I’d say – do I spy some cool pale blue beach glass in one of those succulent pots?
    … yes oh course a mint julep will be perfect…
    with an iced peppermint tea chaser – thank you…
    xox – eb.

  12. I have longed for a porch, I did clean off the back (very cracked and uneven) “patio” pad and scored four sixties era turquoise blue plastic bucket chairs for $1 total and yesterday, a plastic table for $5. I can now read the paper outside in the morning (but I won’t let the cats out)
    I have visited Grass Valley! I saw Return of the King there when it was first released. It is a lovely little place.

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