Christmas Eve Promises A Most Auspicious Christmas

As arranged,
I met the fishing boat
At my Lighthouse dock
Within the first hour
Of sunlight
With my cat/kitten

Black as coal in your stocking,
With one white mitten,

Perched on my shoulder.
To which he has taken
Right well.

Aboard was Sister Darling, of The Rarefied Church of the World (reformed),

I told the Captain,
Before even speaking to
The religion-professing Darling,
That he need not retrieve her
Upon his evening return.
And wished him
A most
Auspicious Christmas.
She carried a hamper of Christmas fare
And good cheer.
As we together walked
Up toward the Lighthouse Keeper’s
House,
My cat/kitten,
With one effortless leap,
Transported himself
From my shoulder
To hers.
He is perhaps anticipating
Some culinary miracle
In addition to
That of Christmas Eve.

I’m The Lighthouse Poet Laureate of Partridge Island /1821 – 2023 / A lot of stuff have I seen / A lot of stuff to report}
DE BA. UEL

12/24/2023 0

The Shortest Day Of The Year . . . Again

It’s the shortest day

Of the year.

~ The December Solstice ~

As old Sol
Shifts his ass
Over the Equator.
Then the days
Get longer,
And the weather
Gets warmer.

Hah hah / Hah hah.

I told this to
Paw, my cat/kitten,
Black as hidden ice,
With one white mitten,
And,
If he didn’t laugh outright
He at least,
Smiled.

(I’m The Lighthouse Poet Laureate of Partridge Island / 1821 – 2023 / A lot of stuff have I seen / A lot of stuff to report}

DE BA. UEL

12/21/2023 0

Trump And Hitler Walk Into Another Bar

~ Dolf – my dear, dear friend.
~That sounds about right.
~ Are you proud of me?
~ Have I missed something?
~ I’m quoting you!
~ What taste you have.
~ Always the best, mein dear Fuhrer.
~ What have you said?
~ “Poisoned Blood”.
~ Ah – straight from ‘Mein Kamph’.
~ A Bible for me and my followers.
~ So much better than the old Bible.

~ Fake Christians, mein Fuhrer. They sustain me.
~ Ah, for the old days of the Third Reich.
~ Do you miss it, beloved Leader?
~ Well – you know – until the end.

12/19/2023 0

God Tells The Elephant To Sing Some Carols For Christmas

Where the Elephant meets God on Christmas Day. Praised by Orson Scott Card. The author guarantees it makes a wonderful gift.

12/17/2023 0

It Is A Cold Kafka December

In my novel, Kafka In The Castle, I fill in the missing entries of his actual diaries. There are many days to fill, as he either did not write during these days, or he destroyed the record.

In these entries, the chill of winter begins to settle over the chill of his life.

10 December 1916

My father is so suspicious, he rarely suspects what is really going on around him. He has no idea that Ottla has rented this house, or that I come here like a thief in the night. He would think that it is another plot against him. And, he is right about the plots – but he’ll never realize they are done solely for defensive purposes. Which is a shame, for he fully appreciates self-preservation.

Of course, even I do not fully know Ottla’s reasons for renting this tiny house. I suspect a young man is involved, but I will keep my queries to myself. It is not the place to bring Felice – but is nice enough to set out on new adventures. I’ve had adventures in less suitable surroundings. The shop girls. The hotels with their chilly rooms.

12 December 1916

Max wants me to publish more. He may even wish upon me the horror of his own proliferation. His novels, and stories, and all his comments and reviews about the “arts”. I do not tell him this, for I think he would be greatly offended, but much of the time my opinions do not even interest me.

14 December 1916

Overheard a woman talking to Max today – complained of being lonely. But what it sounded like to me was that she was only tired. She had children at home, family in the neighbourhood, and friends (obviously) whom she could talk to. Yet, she chooses to feel lonely. Yes, her husband is in the war, but a partial loss does not make one lonely. Perhaps alone – but that is entirely different. Being lonely is waking from a nightmare, and realizing there is no one to wake you.

12/12/2023 0

This Is A TEST – But You Wish It Wasn’t

This is a Test

(But not “the” Test)

For,

If it were the real

Test,

It would need an

Answer,

Or two,

Or even

Multiple choice.

But

It is not that test.

It is just a

Test

To announce

Something

To warn about

Something

It is a test to warn

About

A warning.

A Test

Basically

To say,

*IF*

This was

A Test

Get

Your shit together

Bend over and

Kiss your ass

Good-bye.

That is all.

It is*That*

Type of test.

DE BA UEL

11/30/2023 0

Happy Birthday Margaret Atwood – I’m Sorry For My Interruption

It was not my intent to piss off Margaret Atwood.

The opposite, in fact. I wanted her to know she was an inspiration.

She was giving a reading at the University of New Brunswick in my student days. I attended, but there was quite the gathering and she was whisked away at the end. However, I overheard there was a ‘gathering’ in her honour. Invitation only, of course. Academia and literati.

I crashed the party (that was the term used by the professor who clapped his sturdy hand upon my shoulder but – happily – did not thrust me into the night).

But Ms. Atwood was kept deep in many a learned conversation and I had no opportunity to converse. I did, however, overhear where she would be spending next afternoon – the historic University Observatory.

Next day I knocked upon the Observatory door.

It was not a cheerful Margaret Atwood who answered, and answered with alacrity.

She asked my name.

She asked my business.

And she asked how the hell I knew where she was. She had stolen the day to do some writing. Some ‘real’ writing, in this window-of-opportunity grudgingly offered on the book tour.

At least I was there to praise Atwood and not to bury her with some essay question.

Nor had I a manuscript to hand to her.

I might not have garnered a smile, but her curt thank you was reward enough.

For me, at least.

11/18/2023 0

Remembrance Day In Canada With The Jervis Bay

The major Remembrance Day Service is held in a hockey arena. Which I don’t like. So we found – in walking distance – a service at a small naval memorial/park with a Cenotaph. The park was in honour of the naval ship, The Jervis Bay.

HMS Jervis Bay

83rd Anniversary Nov.5 1940-2023

http://www.hmsjervisbay.com/.

I’ll stab at 400 – 500 folk there. Cars parked as far as ten minutes away. Raggle-taggle group of cadets. Trumpet player who had no trouble with the high notes.

Two good ole boys near us who looked as if they had been hauled from a brawl at the local tavern – but they had their poppies.

Sweet li’l kidlets.

MC who made old, old jokes and had to be corrected a few times about the Order of Service. And had to ask if anyone was present who might lay the wreath of the government or city or …
He chuckled over the one guy who volunteered a number of times: “We’re puttin’ ya to work today.”
A train whistle in the distance that gave a loooong blast for 11:00 (though it was a couple of minutes out of sync).

And TOTAL silence for the two minutes of silence.

Then home we went to watch the Service from Ottawa, with the Governor General, Prime Minister, Silver Cross Mother, Military Pipes & Drums, marching Military Contingent, and interviews with two sharp-as-tacks Veterans in their late nineties.
Best of both worlds.

11/11/2023 0

Our Good And Gracious Queen

Our good and gracious Queen was on the #7 bus tonight.
At least, it was the spitting image of HM. Charles III himself would have given her a second look.
She was well dressed and well coiffed.
Her only unusual feature was her scowl. Nary one look of good cheer did she exhibit the whole of the ride.
Perhaps, that is because she was carrying (as best she could) a three-step foot stool, encased in plastic, and a five foot curtain rod, also encased in plastic.
And, I guessed, there was no maid nor footman awaiting her at home to help with her chore.

11/06/2023 0

kafkaestblog

It is a whirlwind in here

Author

Dale Estey