Lost Civilisation (remix)

Questions yet emerge about the disappearance of a prosperous, robust Mezoamerican civilisation; a powerful culture disappeared (almost literally) overnight. Did the plague 'get 'em'? It had to be a plague, since all pre-modern cultures were too stupid to wash their hands. Who or what killed them? Did they pack up and leave for Alaska?

Poetry rambles about in my mind. Ayamentu the potential carpenter became obsessed with his epic poems, and Yiloxeto the potential housewife owned a multi-national corporation. Talipoketxa joined a rock-band for six decades. In a burst of exhilirating passion, Utlepacho left his wife for summer in London, or else his wife left him for autumn in Paris. Farming and city-peasantry were for the common folk, who were not so common anymore; everyone lived extraordinary lives - wind rushing through the hair, scarves flying from topless convertibles, generations of sexism crumbling, notions of 9-to-5 ho-hum dissolving - which means no one lived ordinary lives.

One day, the conquistadors found extraordinary ambition awake with the crow's feet of the correspondingly ordinary ruins.

-r

Fisherman's Friend - Official Lozenge of the Assumption Schola

This Mass is brought to you by Fisherman's Friend [http://www.fishermansfriend.com], the official cough-drop/throat-lozenge of the Church of the Assumption schola cantorum.

'Gee, Bob, you boys really nailed that Introit this morning!'
'To tell you the truth, Jane, half of us had allergies, the other had a cold, and Fred just sucks in general. (Can't carry a tune in a bucket. Don't understand why he sings with us. Weird.)'
'Wow! Then, how on earth did you guys flutter into those tristrophas and episemas so beautifully?'
'Well, we had a little help: Fisherman's Friend throat lozenges. They're as chock full of menthol and eucalyptus as the FDA will allow, offering cool soothing relief in the form of a nasty brown tablet.'
'Wow, Bob! Where can I get some of my own?'
'You can find Fisherman's Friend right at your local pharmacy, or on the black market.'

(Fisherman's Friend throat lozenges: If fishermen on the briny sea trust 'em, you should be able to, too, right?)

Doodle Do

House-sitting for a friend, and just pulled off a 72-hr. work week (ka-ching). Wicked cool on both accounts, though all is exhausting in regard to the latter. Blogging Blogger because there's no paper nearby for scratching.

It's a blessing (and a rare one in this life, I realise) to have numerous possibilities present to one's life - HVAC, doctoral study, seminary, so on. It's even rarer to have the temporary opportunity to cultivate many of these possibilities with no immediate exclusion of the other possibilities' possibility. For the forseeable future I've got nothing to lose, and for now, I've got the delicious privilege of choice (prologue to decision). I don't mind thinking this over in these weeks.

-r

Doctoral Studies

So, CUA accepted me into their Biblical Studies doctoral programme. I'm calling the dean and my advisor to-day to figure out what scholarships, if any, I received, etc. The financial edge is potentially enormous; a parking pass for the university is $400 alone.

We'll see, but it's exciting.

-r

GOOD FRIDAY, or LUKE XIII.34-35

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem - how many times -
O Jerusalem - how many times I have yearned -

Nonetheless, one hasty pinky toe over the line
alongside hosanna, we Jerusalem take the twine
to our other faculties in order
to fickle fling Him to the Gov'nor

again; bloody, how You spoke naught
to our weight on Your shoulders! odd how
You came wrought to us broken-jawed, some
say like breezes or rains, but thus
we betray Thee.

The 'Crucify' doesn't overcome the 'Hosanna'
ever, no matter how loud the former!
but hell! let's call out the right hosanna to the Lover,
the right-gloried hosanna -
not hand-soap-sanitised hosannas,
the pomegranate-pecan-vanilla-
melon-banana-honey hosannas,
those preemptive peaches-and-cream hosannas.
No,

His is the true HOSANNA,
human and sweaty, full-bodied,
bloodied, triumphant, loving
with tears and the tender gestures
alongside the temple whips and tables flipped,
the exasperated hair-pull measures,
all come together in
Holy!
Holy, holy,
Hosanna in excelsis!


-r