Horn section…

It had been a bitter day like this one,

and Torak had stared at the slimy willow wands piled at his feet,

wondering how he was ever going to turn them into a net…

‘Don’t think about the net,’ Finn-Kedinn had told him…

‘Take a single willow wand and strip it…

You can do that,

can’t you???’

‘Of course,” He’d learned how to strip a stick before he could hold a knife…

‘Then do it,’ said the Raven Leader…

‘Step by step…

One branch at a time…’

— in Outcast by Michelle Paver

A few weeks ago,

I strolled down,

to the big park,

where the eagles,

have been nesting,

successfully,

for many moons now…

Starshine was trying out,

for winter soccer,

and I was watching,

as inconspicuously,

as ever,

from behind,

the Cottonwoods,

so’s to keep,

a low profile…

The sky filled,

with huge drops,

of rain,

when I noticed a boy,

playing tennis,

with his dad…

As this little guy,

on the smaller end,

of the growth charts,

smoked the ball,

back and forth,

with the greatest,

of ease,

I asked his mom,

standing netside,

How old is your son???

She said,

Four years old…

I can’t play with him anymore…

He’s become too good…

These days,

children aren’t waiting,

until they’re five,

or six,

to ride a bike…

If presented,

with the opportunity,

to scoot,

down a hill,

at two years old,

they’ll take it,

and then some…

And if a little boy,

can kick tennis ass,

or know the name,

and jersey number,

of every single player,

on the Canucks’ roster,

including the ones,

who’ve been prepared,

for the final round,

on the farm team,

at four,

what’s he going to do,

when he gets to Kindergarten,

and he has to sit still,

and count to five…

How fast can you,

write a report card,

for the autism spectrum???

And ADHD???

How about,

oppositional,

defiant disorder???

The other day,

Starshine called me,

from the kitchen…

She said,

Mama,

looks like we’ve got,

a situation here…

I opened the cupboards,

below the sink,

and everything was wet…

It seems,

a persistent leak,

of the hot water tap,

created,

a swamp,

in the darkness,

which has not been,

attended to,

for a very long time…

For now,

until a better solution,

presents itself,

I’ve placed,

a dog bowl,

in position,

to catch the water…

But I seriously doubt,

that public education,

is prepared,

to contain,

what is being held back,

by an aging old dam,

built,

under the mandate,

of government…

As we all well know,

cracks in the structure,

are obvious signs,

of decay,

and when they’re ignored,

what wants to,

implode on itself,

will…

And the implosion,

won’t be stopped,

by any kind of expert,

from the academy,

or a union,

caught up,

in its own interests…

As for associations,

of management,

they’ll simply be,

tripping themselves,

over rhetoric…

The other day,

when we were walking up,

to the Drive,

to stock up,

on a couple of weeks worth,

of raw meat,

for the cats,

Little Gem slipped her hand,

into mine,

and said,

Mama,

I think you’re waiting,

for more work,

to come to you…

And the job you’re here,

to do next,

hasn’t been invented yet…

So be patient,

with yourself,

and rest up,

so that you’ll be ready,

when they are…

Last Saturday,

under super heavy,

cloud burst,

Starshine,

Little Gem,

and I piled into,

our big red car,

for a field trip,

with the cats…

At first they fought,

getting into their crate,

due to the negativity,

of past experiences…

But once we’d arrived,

and settled in,

at the vet,

for some advice,

and remedy,

on the puncture wounds,

Boy Cat acquired,

while adventuring,

it was just like,

a regular day,

at the office,

and we knew,

they are ready,

for anything…

I once had a soft spot,

in my heart,

for Kyle Wellwood,

because of our time,

making scones,

together,

in my kitchen,

and I still kind of do,

because,

on the whole,

he’s a smart cookie…

But as a new father,

he needs to learn,

to be more reflective,

and mind,

his P’s and Q’s…

The Vancouver Canucks,

as we now know them,

are no longer,

as he says,

Afraid to lose…

Rather,

they have nothing to lose…

And when you find yourself,

in that state,

of affairs,

anything really,

is possible…

Because NOTHING,

is all that is ever,

holding anyone back,

from EVERYTHING…

Yesterday,

as a candidate,

delivered,

the arms,

of my breech baby,

using the Løvset manoeuvre ,

during a practical exam,

she looked me straight,

into the eyes,

and asked,

Are you a midwife???

At first,

I didn’t know how,

to answer her question,

truthfully,

but then I smiled,

in-between pushes,

and said,

Socratically speaking,

I guess I am…

It’s just that this time around,

I’m assisting,

in the steady,

and sure delivery,

of The Stanley Cup…

After panting through,

the safe passing,

of the head,

she laid the doll,

across my prosthetic belly,

and said,

Well done…

It may be a bit premature to say,

but it looks to me,

like this baby’s,

been bearing down,

to come out,

a winner…