Rain

Constant and soaking, the rain has fallen this month with the dedication of a long-distance runner knocking out the pace. It has been remorseless and lethal, generating media moments that have been swooped on with no true care for the devastation caused. The President flew over in a helicopter, sharing the pain. The poor and the weak were washed away, making room for more poverty and more weakness, the sickening predictability of suffering not lessening the rain's murderous intent.

It will stop, eventually, but what is left behind will not replace what has been taken. Memories carry pain, as much as the future carries hope.

Destiny

We are cathedrals to be built, heaving stone and blistering hands and tearing feet. The dreams of our internal architects may vary infinitely, but our scales are equal and the suffering involved no less so. Joy upon completion is joy indeed, but surely is fleeting, tempered by the knowledge that now comes the end.

Horses

Had a dream last night in which I was the driver of a car barreling through country roads which turned into sandstone tunnels. As I looked up, I could see empty beer bottles hanging from natural crevices in the stone. I knew that kids had been drinking and doing this to provoke. As the road wound on, I saw dead horses strung up like trophies along the roadside. As I paid more attention, I realized someone had slit the horses’ throats and left empty beer bottles in the pouches, as if they were trash cans.

As the car journey continued, I came to a crossroads, with a village green and a post office.

I asked myself how people could behave like that, back in the tunnels.

New shorts

Got some new shorts today. Not much in the great scheme of things, but in the great scheme of things, what is?

Also got some new contact lenses, which I was assured were better than the old ones. They were 30% more expensive than the old ones, too, as if to back up the claim. The salesperson said, "Comfort always costs more". You can't argue with that. Well, you can, but you're wasting your time.

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