from The Vocal Wall

‘That first sip of water made all the difference in my feelings towards humanity.’

--overheard in a café in Luang Prabang, Laos. April ‘03



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What of Anguish?


…and what of the formalities conducted everyday instead of just getting to the point? We read somewhere that they were thinking of doing away with some of these formalities so we could arrive at the most logical point faster than usual. What was thought to be “usual” for us had actually been exhausted by our evolutionary processes just last year. It was time to move on past the clichés, traditions, and poses. If this upset an entire human possibility, so be it. Some things are meant to fall by the wayside. Even possibilities.


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Golden Gate


Some were made of clay and some were made from wood (perhaps osier or another type of willow). Other figures that seemed to be frozen in movement resembled feathers with wooly tufts of down. A few were streaked with gull dung; almost all had seen better days. Out near the ocean the statues stood eerie and immobile to all who came upon them. “Here they are!” a child appeared from the surrounding woods, then five others. They pelted the figures with rocks and cans. A few of the others drifted away from the group singing quietly to themselves, one was whispering into his hands. A small boy of seven went into convulsions on a bed of pine needles the park’s custodians had swept up that morning. An older girl, who looked to be the ring leader, ran in circles around the figures flapping her hands on each side of her head. Her glasses had slipped to the end of her nose because of the perspiration and were beginning to fall. Still she ran and ran, oblivious to her decreasing ability to see properly. Out on the beach a few hardy types were braving the icy sting of a summer swim.

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