There is Something to be Said for Everything.

There is, right now, a sun pattern falling across my room. It is bent through my window and sits on my floor. And I am cast onto the carpet as a shadow within it. And it is beautiful.

Right now, I should be studying for a final tomorrow and completing a sculpture, which will be critiqued by my peers and professors. fun.

I am not neglectful of my duties, but I am lost in thoughts of other things and the appreciation of the sun. Is this so bad?

Summer is five days away. Work starts in eight.

There is something to be said for everything. There are always interesting somethings. I am interested in saying less. Less is more. More or less. Except for when less is best. I'm rambling. I'm scrambling to get everything done. And honestly, I don't really mind it. Except for when the sun is calling.

We will Keep the Beat!

We are not trees that cling well to ones before us, sinking

our fingers deep within the earth. We carry our out-branched

bodies, heavy as they are, in search of fields where we will clap our hands, the air

carrying on it, the praise of all our days.

Grasping at it All...

We memorize each other within a thin frame, against absences.

Turning away, I find that in mind's eye, you are still speaking through your tea--

lips wrapped around a ceramic farewell, smallest finger out.

Freshness on Toile. And Other Notes on the Present...

1. Dinner...

tonight was so tasty. I went to Rainbow Foods co-op for the sole purpose of buying their fresh, plump asparagus. I go once a week, if possible, just to browse or to grab an apple and a stout ginger ale. They have beautiful organically grown produce. I recommend visiting them on Old Canton Road in Jackson, or on their website, http://www.rainbowcoop.org/. Afterwards, I ran to McDade's where I bought some chicken breasts, fresh corn on the cob, alfredo sauce, and fresh pasta. I cooked the chicken in lemon pepper seasoning, boiled the water and cooked the pasta (which takes literally 60 seconds!) and shucked and boiled the corn. Then, I steamed half of the bushel of asparagus. I arranged it all on two square plates. One for the corn, and the other for the pasta and sauce on the bottom, the chicken atop it, and asparagus on each side. Alex came by and nabbed a bite, confirming the taste test. Then, Shellie, Lillian, Em Fray and I went eat at some picnic tables on the other side of Preston Hall. After we finished, Eastman ambled up and ate a little of what was left. I love cooking. And I love sharing food.




2. Natalie Springel...

just brought me coffee in a large, red, ceramic cup. She sat it beside me on my desk with a grin and a satisfactory thump.

3. Yarn...

is taking over my room. Lauren went to a voice perfomance competition this weekend, and must have been in a rush when deciding which of her yarn she would like to accompany her. I bet there are 75 skeins chilling on her bed.

4. Band of Horses...

is coming to Memphis in May. This is exciting. James and I are going to see them. This is even more exciting.

5. Two Weeks...

is how long I have left before the semester ends and summer begins. I can't wait to accomplish each of the bullets on my to-do list before then. I will feel so much better!

6. Photography...

is oftentimes beautiful. This is especially the case when you have more than four good friends who are talented photographers. I think one of my very favorite gifts in the world are their photos. Shellie recently gave me a photo that she had taken of my favorite dog, which died last year. I didn't know she had even taken it. I'm looking for a frame that will fit it. Charlie has given me a few of myself that she has snapped. They are beautiful. She is a lover of high contrast, and her photos are always striking. Rebecca and Lauren have also given me beautiful photos. Lauren gave me one of a street band from our trip to New Orleans...a bunch of 25ish young men in white wife beaters and suspenders. Each beautiful in an antiquated way. The photo looks like it was shot in the twenties. Also, each of my last three sketchbooks has one of her photos taped to the cover. I'm excited about taking photography, myself, in the fall. Then, we can all take photography trips!

7. Reading Aloud...

is not overrated. It is quite possibly one of the most wonderful things in the world. I will tell my children stories always. Sneaky Beans Coffee Shop hosts children's story time every Thursday. This morning, I witnessed an influx of twentysomething children ranging from unborn to four or five, all into the back room of the shop. Byron, the owner came through with a toddler on each hip, turning sideways to fit through the doors. I was exceptionally happy.

8. The Orange Peel...

is a vintage consignment shop in Fondren that has provided me with two wonderful additions to my fascinating creatures collection. Most of these creatures are birds that have been given to me as gifts. In March, I added a unique little fellow that I believe must be a kiwi to the group. Then, today, I bought a welded camel from Peru. Both of them are hand made and both cost less than $10! Hooray!




9. Something...

is my all time favorite Beatles song. That's a hard thing to pinpoint. It took me a long time to decide between that one, Eleanor Rigby, and Rocky Raccoon. One day, James and I are going to listen to his entire Beatles anthology from start to finish. I think this will require a long road trip.

10. The Velvet Underground...

is underrated. Give me a TVU tune and I'll give you tears of extreme joy and appreciation.

11. Randall Smith...

has style. Yesterday, he wore his famed black sports coat with his famed khakis and famed boating shoes. Beneath his coat was a famed Randall Smith tee shirt. But, this time it was purple. I told him I liked it. He responded with "Target. 20 bucks." I think this man is brilliant.

12. Cicadas...

I can hear outside. It makes me want to be home.

13. Home...

reminds me that I am missing the annual Crawfish Festival. Sad day.

An Excerpt on Growth

Past the edges of the River Town, the land is flat and wavers
with the heat. Beyond the steel-tilled fields, near water’s edge,
the ground grows only seeds that deem to set
themselves within the soil, to sing
silently, God’s song of great release which flings
them out, shots within the earth.

A Dust on the Wind

She sits near candles, burnt
to wicks ends, there, near out-doused
ends of cigarettes, and water-filled
jars with which to do that deed. Later, she will pour
them, somewhere past the fenceposts, ash on ash.
And from the dust, she will carry
back inside with her a fine dredging, upturned
by bare feet, clinging, where it will meet in great reunion,
its kind brought there, like this, so many times before.

Upon the floor, the silt collects until she sees and deems
it time to sweep it up, into a heap—to fling
it to the wind. It’s sent and landing, stands, freshest
of sands on the ground. Some song, sounding
as “From the dust I have come” She will
hum, and out into it she will go.

...An Excerpt...

Bird Watching

A door blew open last
autumn and let
a nesting of motley foliage
build thick and curl
along a wall,
all mortared with the rain.

Among the waterlogged
were leaves,
broken twigs,
and the ochre beadwork
of the oaks along the drive.

Dashed and wet, a warbler
sat alert
atop the mass and
I watched

the silent
minstrel shake
and pucker from the cold,
ever preening the delicate yellow
back from where it had been blown.

As the bird settled into the heap,
I left it alone
and took inside with me
the memory of the fellow.

I wrote this last semester. Seeing all of the oaks' sheddings along the sidewalks today made me feel that it was an appropriate time to include it.

A Cyclical Wishlist

Emily wants to:

--spend an entire day doing nothing but hopping bookstores.
--walk down Josephine leisurely, laughing with company, picking up treasures, and breathing in
the scent of fresh country.
--have a bonfire. Molotov cocktail hitting scrap wood, fingers picking tunes, marshmallows burning, and stories all around.
--sew aprons to sell.
--run a tub of scalding water. Make use of it.
--plant lavender for picking, drying, and breathing.
--own very large dogs her entire life. Ones that lean their entire body weight on you, it's okay to have the temporary loss of circulation for that purpose.
--find, build, buy, and refinish more furniture.
--exchage a back massage.
--drink a cuppa. Black. Large.
--turn off all of the lights. Everywhere. Just for a while.
--plant, prune, pluck, and pick a garden.
--build a tree swing. Rope. Plank. Two holes. Two knots. Two loops. Children.
--give Dot a big hug.
--listen to music in the dark. With company.
--ride the Presbyterian merry-go-round.
--take a drive.
--buy some land.
--finish the semester gracefully.
--sleep outside.
--hunt lightning bugs.
--stay up late.
--sleep in.
--wake up. Go again.