A note to James Christopher
From: Chuck Darling Nov 24, 2024
To: James Christopher
Thank you for reading
for Libravox.
I had a brittle copy of
Gulliver of Mars,
whom read it in the 1950's.
It was on the yellow varnished shelf
of my Grandfather's oaken Secretary desk,
in our family cottage in the dairy farm country of
Arcade, New York.
My Grandfather was a healing minister,
with the International Constitutional Church.
[Nana & Grampa Ronald in front of the cottage, about 1948]
He bought an unused one-room schoolhouse
eight miles from Arcade,
in East Arcade,
a township composed of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, founded before 1800,
its rectory and church hall,
a general store
that sold gasoline, Sealtest ice-cream,
fan belts, flypaper, and cigars.
That, and the Schoolhouse.
Small town. Not even a stop-sign.
Elevation 1625 feet.
Cattarugus Creek, a trout stream, ran through the
valley, at the base of our property,
below a field of milkweed, raspberry and blackberry
bushes, bordered by apple trees, and Buck Road.
My dad was a Railroad Engineer, with the South Buffalo
Railway, a switching line for Bethlehem Steel,
where they poured Uranium for the Manhattan Project, while Dad was at Sea.
Dad died on February 7th, 1964, 2-1/2 months after
JFK, when I had, at six, walked home from school
for the first time, due to the early closing of School 62.
Dad was WWII Navy, USS Rigel, a repair ship that
salvaged the repairable ships of Pearl Harbor,
and then brought the first Marines to Japan.
Dad didn't talk about the war.
After my Uncle Bert had gifted me with a dozen
of my cousin's Tom Swift, Jr. and Tom Corbett books,
I took a look at my Dad's book.
I repaired the paperback binding glue with an electric iron
before I read it (perhaps in 1972), to avoid losing pages.
Dad had Out of the Silent Planet, too.
When I asked my mom what dad had thought of
these Science Fiction stories, she said he had told her:
"Maybe there are planets out there, where Man hasn't
Fallen .."
Chuck Darling
Homeless since 2005
@Starbucks Grand &6th
Los Angeles, CA 90071
https://tinyurl.com/thebeanlist
( Justpaste it/dynkg )
PS. DC has a soup kitchen
named Miriam's Kitchen.
At poetry tables, I wrote:
Sonar
A Sestina by Chuck Darling
3-17-2014ad
I remember slinging stones at Bats [A]
Standing on that Iron Trestle Bridge [B] (1 Bridge)
Pings and Clinks of Telephonic Lines [C]
Splashing Rocks at rest under the Stream [D]
Passing Time on Quiet Summer Nights [E]
Clever Bats Flit-Flitting under Stars [F]
Counting Constellations in the Stars [F]
Thinking of the Flying Dancing Bats [A]
Swatting at Mosquitoes in the Night [E]
Clanging Stones against the Rusty Bridge [B] (2 Bridge)
Pondering the Moonlight on the Stream [D]
Piling Roadside Gravel in small Lines [C]
Clinking Singing Sharp High-Tension Lines [c]
Flickring Light with Colors from the Stars [F]
Rustling of the Water in the Stream [D]
Remembering that last time at the Bat [A]
Treading on the Concrete of the Bridge [B] (3 Bridge)
Viewing Shooting Stars in that Dark Night [E]
Thinking of that Picnic Sunday Night [E]
Standing in the Chicken Dinner Line [C]
Kicking off the Clay Dust of the Bridge [B] (4 Bridge)
Watching the Rotation of the Stars [F]
Guessing at the Dodging of the Bats [A]
Hearing Minnows Flipping in the Stream [D]
Bats Gyrating in a Frenzied Stream [D]
Walking under Starlight in the Night [E]
Seeing Moths get Captured by the Bats [A]
Sailing Stones in Parabolic Lines [C]
Thoughts of Planets underneath the Stars [F]
Scraping Rusty Rivets on the Bridge [B] (5 Bridge)
Deep Dark Water underneath the Bridge [B] (6 Bridge)
Rippled Starlight dances on the Stream [D]
Fireflies Flashing, imitating Stars [F]
Tiny Crickets singing in the Night [E]
Walking back uphill in measured Lines [D]
Rorshach Memories of Harmless Bats [A]
Rusty Iron Bridge and Flitting Bats [B A] (7 Bridge Bats)
Crossing Streams and Telegraphing Lines [D C]
Under Glowing Stars in Inky Night [F E]
A Sestina by Chuck Darling
3-17-2014ad
Reflections
March 7, 2014ad
A Sestina
by Chuck Darling
My Nana had a Silver Mirror
Above the Couch with her Big Quilt
Standing, I recall Reflections
Raising up Blinds at the Window
Filling up her Room with Light
Sparkling Dancing Motes of Dust
I recall that Gentle Dust
Tiny Motes at rest on Mirrors
Swirling in the Sunbeam's Light
Floating Soft above her Quilt
Looking out the Picture Window
Taking Time for Tea, Reflection
Rays of Life's Lightfooted Flexions
Trays of Lucky Raleigh Dust
Saw Dad's face through our Back Window
Watched him Shaving in the Mirror
Sleeping 'neath my Nana's Quilt
Evening walks by Lantern Light
Monitor my Work, make Light
Mar McRipples - Fry Reflections
Talkers forming Krazy Quilts
Chevy Tires of Kicking Dust
Reflects in the Rear-View Mirror
Whisking out the old Vent Window
Piles of Windows listing Windows
Clicking Pegs shine Coats of Light
Raw Beans in an Oval Mirror
Roast Beans flavoring Reflections
Finding Diamonds in the Dust
Quatrains in a Compass Quilt
Smartphones Screening Handy Quilts
Icons Rayed across the Window
Ringing Chimes as Ma Bell Dusts
Numbering the Dark and Light
Pads invest in Self-Reflection
Wrighting Posts a Daily Mirror
Knitted Quilt of Memory's Mirror
Windows on Dust's Bright Reflection
Cyclic Quilt of Dusty Light
A Sestina by Chuck Darling
3-7-2014ad
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