dlbassman politiku journal

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this spring i took a road trip down to californ-i-a. there was a family wedding, and a visit with a friend.

road trips are nice - i thought about getting a cdl. over-the-road truck drivers enjoy this benefit - there is a realness to their work: getting to a distant destination; crossing vast and beautiful landscapes; and performing a useful service.

i contemplated how not to contemplate, but i do not recommend this to anyone.

spring break - visit friend
she wisely withheld a hug
until i cleared out

across the street there were expert pruners at work on two tree's, side-by-side. the tree's were clearly of the same type, but the treeworkers pruned them according to their natural growth - one was tall and narrow, the other was broad. natural pruning means opening the canopy to air and light, and removing dead and crossing branches.

treeworkers flitter
down two tree's - a tall thin groom
and a fullsome bride

the main benefactors of the pruners expertise were: my friend, who had the best view of the tree's; the tree's themselves; and the birds who had a nest high in the treetops that was apparently spared. a hummingbird was spotted there also, going about his or her business.

the tree's if undisturbed will probably outlive me and my friend, the houses on the block, and maybe the city in which they stand.

my friend is a lover of birds, and grows milkweed for the monarch butterfly. there was a crippled butterfly residing in her patio garden, whose daily activity consisted in sunning himself or herself, retreating to the shelter of groundcover, and hopefully participating in the life cycle of the monarch, which only reproduces by laying eggs on the milkweed plant.

i thought he or she might enjoy some sugar water, as does the hummingbird. i prepared it in the same recommended proportion, 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. i use a little more sugar for good measure.

i offer nectar
a butterfly befriends me
probes under my nails

the butterfly can often be observed quietly meditating, drying dew off his or her wings in the sunlight, breathing, breathing, so it seems.

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I take the opportunity now to close with this quote:

"It's 1956 and the 20-inch-diameter steering wheel on a Chevrolet Bel Air or Ford Fairlane provided the leverage to steer the wheels. But, it was especially difficult to turn the steering wheel when the vehicle was stopped. Turning the wheel required a certain amount of upper body strength that was given by G-d to truck drivers of the day."

(from gene markel, "a brief history of of the steering wheel and power steering"; brake and front end magazine, sep 1, 2006)