Friday, November 24

How's this for a laugh, Bush? Last night I dreamt I was President and stopped the war. We packed up all our tanks and helicopters, our automatic weapons and artillery, our night vision goggles and body armor, and came home. Oh, I know it's all a lot simpler in dream than in real life. But sometimes I have to wonder how "real" life is for you, Bush. You, who think your Rumsfeld is doing "a superb job" when he has so obviously bollixed the whole thing up. Who seem to think the war is going great.

And then I also have to wonder what kind of judge of character you are. Numerous examples there, too, for anyone who looks. But I remember particularly that time you looked in Putin's eyes and saw the goodness of his soul, and now look what has been happening in his Russia of late: the summary justice, the return of political repression, the encroachments on basic freedoms… And now your chum is siding with the ancien regime in the Ukraine, despite what seems to be indisputable election fraud. I'm afraid you might find yourself head-to-head with your soul-mate one day, maybe soon. Another Cold War? Brrrr…

Did you eat too much yesterday, Bush, like I did? (I know you didn't drink too much: you gave that up, right?) I have to say, though, it was a marvelous feast. I was the lone ex-Brit amongst a family American enough to make you proud. Good people, sound to the core, with great, big, open hearts. Though I sometimes wonder, on Thanksgiving Day, if you-all hadn't done better to stick with us Brits.

*

The Artist

He lay down
spread-eagled
on a bed of dry
pebbles. Then the rain came.
When he got back up
he left behind
the light gray shadow
of his body
on the dark, wet stones.

He walked through the village
gathering dandelions
in a bucket
at the roadside,
in the hedgerows;
then took them out
to the river. Finding
a round pool in the rocks
he filled it up
with dandelion heads,
revealing at once the surprising
receptiveness of rock,
and the brilliant, golden
beauty of the dandelion.

A movie to see, Bush: "Rivers & Tides", about the work of the British artist Andy Goldsworthy. Such small and simple gestures in the natural world, and yet so filled with depth and grandeur. You can rent it out on Netflix