L'aura del Campo

Summer: 11 Asma (August 30)

TREASURE OF THE DAY

the heat of the day layers in,
heavy layers shimmering on the street
and pressing down:
an argument not quite settled,
but waiting for another time.

from "Pale Yellow Mornings"   [E] by fyn


2005-08-30
vespers, 85 degrees. 68 in Jamestown, NY. 77 in Buffalo.

Heavy rain is already falling as far north as Southern New York. The rain hasn't reached Buffalo yet. It will shortly. There could be severe flooding, which is what devastated the area in 1972 with hurricane Agnes. Rainfall amounts aren't expected to be more than 5" though. In '72 Wellsville was devastated, Letchworth Park was trashed, and Rochester was lucky the dam at Mt. Morris held.

My thoughts on New Orleans? Forget the money for the moment. Thousands have lost homes and jobs. They will need places to stay. Hotels? Only for the wealthy. The poor will suffer incredibly. Are there enough places for 500,000 displaced people? Yes, if America opens their homes. Otherwise the situation will deteriorate throughout Texas, Arkansas, Alabama and Tennessee as well as Louisiana and Mississippi. The U.S. government has only 24-48 hours to act in a responsible way. Regardless of government actions, common people will need to come to the fore with their generosity. Since, kindness has become a disease and generosity is seen with dollar signs, this will be a major test for the American public. Most have not been through this level of displacement. A half million homeless is not a pretty thought. It will not be a pretty sight.

The death toll? I wouldn't be surprized if it is in the high hundreds. Since the situation in New Orleans is deteriorating, if rescue operations fail, it could go over a thousand. Areas flooding now could be above the rooftops by morning.

NFL Football? Welcome the Baton Rouge or San Antonio Saints.

2005-08-30
noon, 80 degrees. 72 in Bellefontaine, OH.

No word from family in Mississippi. Here the weather is beautiful. In Ohio they are feeling the effects of Katrina. My family in Western New York will start getting rains this afternoon and evening and through the night.

Met with a professor who will be guiding me through a directed study this semester to work towards a portfolio of 25-30 solid poems. This will mean writing new ones, reworking old ones and finding 'lost' ones. We meet again in two weeks.

She really liked 'Boise City' and 'Speak soft my name'. This is a good sign. All would've been lost if she hadn't.

OVERHEARD

"The world revolves around semen and semen cops, because everything is sticky to a degree." Steve Elder.
"Joy comes from within and overflows. You can't contain it." Teri Guntert.

SENSED YESTERDAY:

Out-of-breath, after climbing the 100 steps at Ohio and Tenth; swirling shadows of swallows; lilacs in bloom (out of season); cicada buzzing around the library's lights and resting upside-down on the ceiling; magenta and blue lobelia; a young boy in blue plastic shoes, his younger brother in yellow.