Canuck'd

Delia was brought to Oddfellow’s late one night,

after her parents and younger sister,

were done in by bandits…

The immigrant family,

all albinos with the whitest hair and snowy eyelashes,

was a traveling attraction with Captain Marvelous’s Sideshow…

Delia escaped by pretending to be a pile of laundry and,

as she is very quiet,

was quite convincing…

The headmaster accompanied the police to the scene,

and found Delia hiding,

folded up in an enormous quilt,

with one white braid trailing out…

— in Oddfellow’s Orphanage by Emily Winfield Martin

Over some slow,

roasted pork,

and mashed Yukon Gold’s,

with buttermilk,

Little Gem asked me,

the following,

Mama,

do you ever go back to bed,

in the morning???

I told her that I haven’t,

for some time now,

and that if I need to,

I take an afternoon nap…

She said,

If you’re tired,

you should sleep in the morning,

because it is better,

for your night sleep,

seeing as,

you’re the kind of person,

who needs to sleep a lot…

It isn’t just everyone,

who works,

while they’re dreaming…

I don’t know,

if you ever remember,

heading down,

to the office of,

the guidance counselor’s,

in high school,

so as to determine,

what direction,

you should take,

in life..

Well I do,

and the thing is,

there wasn’t,

an occupation,

I recall,

which addressed,

the trade,

of a sleep worker…

This seems to be,

something,

one comes to,

on their own,

with teachers,

few,

can see…

I’m fascinated,

by the fact,

that racehorses,

wintering,

off of,

Harris Road,

and doing what,

they’ve been bred for,

in the seat,

of Jefferson Country,

know where,

to find me,

and know,

what to say,

within reason,

to confirm,

that EVERYTHING,

IS OKAY…

I often wonder,

How do,

they do that???

But as we know,

most of,

the best things,

in life,

are free,

and refuse,

to be explained,

by hard science..

Several weeks back.

I made my wei,

into the Home Depot,

off Terminal Ave.,

to pick up,

some chicken wire,

and pansies…

The greeter,

at the entrance,

handed me,

the latest flyer,

on store specials,

then fanned out,

some stickers,

for me to choose from…

What fun!!!

I said,

as I pulled,

and flipped over,

the word HONEST,

then peeled,

the back off,

to slap,

the message,

over,

my heart…

Naturally,

we got to talking,

about his methods,

of transforming,

the energy of,

negativity,

not to mention,

his radical,

career change,

from doctor,

of Chinese Medicine,

to box store,

ninja…

He waxed,

poetically,

on his intent to,

shift workplace,

atmosphere,

by bringing,

positive expression,

to his people,

every single day…

I told him,

how my visits,

to this store,

are always full,

of new adventures,

and that,

I had felt,

this recipe,

for change,

long before,

our meeting,

in the physical plane…

Then,

bringing,

the conversation,

to a close,

I marched,

toward,

the electrical aisle,

on the path,

to appliances,

as one,

just never knows,

when it’ll be time,

for a power smart,

deep freeze,

so its best to,

keep an eye,

on what’s in store,

and add it,

to the list,

of anything,

is possible…

This week,

I watched,

THE HORSES frolic,

and play,

in a field,

of green grass,

and the experience,

was breath taking…

The freedom,

to finally,

buck,

kick,

and charge,

at will,

after seven months,

of stall confinement,

shocked the air,

with gladness…

Mr. Bettman pronounced,

the cancellation,

of all NHL games,

until the end,

of November…

Don’t ask me why,

but this made me giggle,

and recall,

a neighboour,

walking his weiner dog,

to Yaletown,

in search of,

moustache wax…

Surely in preparation,

for all that hockey,

that is waiting,

on the wings,

of an unbelievable season,

with no compromise…