A LOFTY SURGE

I complain now and again about my students' general lack of knowledge, especially when it's of the truly appalling variety, like identifying someone as the "president of Africa." And indeed I had two students on this very first quiz of the semester say that Belgium was the capital of Germany (surely one of them cheated off the other). And I had four say that the capital of Afghanistan was Baghdad (mostly spelled Bagdad). Another wrote a few authoritative paragraphs about how the Taliban ruled Iraq with an iron fist. And another identified Caroline Kennedy as the widow of JFK.

But then there was this. Use the word "borne" in a sentence. And a student wrote:

"Behold the threaden sails,
Borne with the invisible and creeping wind,
Draw the huge bottoms through the furrow'd sea,
Breasting the lofty surge."

Good grief. It's from Shakespeare's "Henry V." I nearly wept. Behold my cynical sails, borne with invisible and creeping hope.

"SORRY I'M UNHAPPY"

[I found this letter the weekend after Christmas in my front flower bed, which borders a sidewalk heavily traveled by homeless and low-income people on their way to and from a social service agency on my block. Someone dropped the letter — written in pencil on three pieces of folded-up notebook paper — unintentionally or maybe on purpose. I didn't change anything in it except to leave out the last name of a person near the end.]

Hey Buddie, it's x-mas-time not that it matter's send me a letter small money order sorry I'm unhappy, you see it takes 1 hour on the outside to send 5 or 10 $ to the inside But I'm gettin' no love hope you can get me some, I'm depending on you. Please don't let me down, so far everyone else has; And I've sent out alot of request's. I'm in medium. there are 3 or 4 here that think they run thing's you know how it is wannabe's, they censored my writing's about what real life and love are about. But they print homophobic dumass shit, and innercity rap and the n_____L____s eat it up. I can overlook it. But it test's my patcience


my bails only $750 but I'll be here at least 6 mo's oh well, I need my health back my physical health is very very important to me. Its how I've managed to stay alive. Alcohol effects the balance and equal Librium needed for proper self defense plus drug's and alcohol when done while homeless tend's to keep one homeless. I've felt alot of pain in my life greg but homelessness hurts the worst, I can't do it sober. I really appreciate you recognizing my talents; the ones you've seen so far. And I trust your not trying to patronize me when you give me compliment's I go to court 23 Dec 08; and 12 Mar 09, you must wright me back very soon, let me know you care, send me some love, I could sure use it Postcards are free at Jean Ann's or 25¢. A stamp is 42¢ or less, takes a few minutes out of your day to brighten up mine you know how it feels to be locked up and get 0 mail.

[Based on the page numbering — in Roman numerals — there might be a page missing here; I can't tell.]

Hold a sign the says "need help for my lover's inmate relief fund." Or "Gay activist jailed for defending himself, needed; closet case homo's to donate for bail." Or start passing out condom's there free at Jean Ann's. Help me Daddy, and I'll pull down my pants and lay on my tummy. Are you wearing old spice or AQUA Velva, want me to get it wet first?
P.S. Never ever trust Brian B_____'_. I did and, he had me arrested 3 separate times' I said I should have known the 1st time or even before but I fell for it like a fool. Drinking impairs your judgemen't and other's pray on you exploitation is what that's called and it comes in many form's enough of that. Merry x-Mas bro
Sincerly Chuck

DON'T FORGET

I found this grocery list in my shopping cart at Checkers. I find these pretty regularly. I have surely left my own for someone else to find, though mine tend to be one-sided and on the back of junkmail envelopes or on sketch paper, not on frugally torn two-sided scraps.

This one has a simple poignancy — maybe it has something to do with the word "cheap" in parentheses after "small white bread" — that got me thinking about the paper trails we all leave. Some of us write something nearly every day of our lives, whether it be an e-mail, a report for work or a comment on a student's paper. Some of us write hardly a thing — a grocery list, a signature on a Christmas card, answers to a crossword puzzle. It's funny how you can make a guess about what someone is like based on a few words: oleo squares, bleach, bacon, cottage cheese. And you can detail your guess even further by the handwriting. And you could be completely right. Or you could be completely wrong. There'd be a particular satisfaction in either (I was right! or A stereotype has been defied!). But you never get to know.

We write to remember: to get a loaf of bread, to record an appointment, to set down an event, to say I was here and this is what happened. All writing is a reminder, a shopping list with more or less detail between the parentheses.