comfort
when i was a child the graveyard was my playground. this may sound like the lead to a morose and melancholy tale but it happens to be true. our property backed up to a narrow street that bordered a memorial park. lots of green lawn dotted with lichen-covered stones, a large pond filled with ducks, geese and an ill-tempered swan, enormous old oak trees that shed shiny, toasty-colored acorns in the Fall and rolling pre-plot-planted hills just perfect for sledding when we had that rare snowfall in the South.
i smoked my first cigarette and played my first game of ‘doctor’ there; late night rounds of ‘ghost in the graveyard’ were a natural. i’ve gone there alone and with company, been quiet , reflective, rambunctious and wicked. there are still a few who think i spray painted ‘TSOL’ in the cul-de-sac on the north end. it wasn’t me.
for several days my entire universe has been affected by the tiny, putrid pockets of tissue known as my sinuses. fallout from last week’s bout with the plague has left them infected for the first time since i underwent surgery two years ago. nothing looks pretty to me - least of all my reflection. the pain and agony have only served to exacerbate my already too-wide streak of bitchiness and cynicism. so, rather than fill someone else’s lunch hour with the song of my misery i decided to take the back road from my office and head to the cemetery.
this proved a wise move on my part; the air was cool and the place nearly deserted. the tenants didn’t bother me - they never do. i stopped and strolled by the pond and fed the ducks and geese some crusts of bread. i walked up a hill and under an oak where i collected huge, smooth acorns that felt so good in my hands. back towards my car i noticed two downy, peeping goslings that i’d made a point of feeding moments before. one looked directly into my eyes and waddled right to me as fast as its webbed feet could go. i teared up a bit at the sweetness and yes, the beauty of that simple sight. so thanks to a baby goose for momentarily peeling away the fog of nuisance and pain and letting me feel pretty again.
prevention is kinder than destruction. each year over six million healthy dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are killed as surplus. remember: neuter, spay and don't let them stray!