Scene: Two old men on an enclosed porch,
Birch Meadows, somewhere in Maine or Minnesota, August 2012:
First old guy: It doesn’t matter,
We’re on this course
And have to finish. . .
What do you mean John?
My name is Ed.
Well, in my opinion
There is an elephant in the room
Or a hippo or a fat-ass Brontosauras. . .
I think you mean “Apatosaurus”,
But go on Ed.
It’s this whole house of cards.
Sorry for the mixed-metaphor,
But picture this:
You got your Apatosaurus
And your house of cards. . .
I’m with you so far, go on. . .
Well, as long as the big guy doesn’t move
We’re OK.
You mean we, as the collective we,
I assume.
Yes, you, me, that Chinese fellow down the hall,
The guy who wanders the halls,
The one who says he’s the president,
That woman who comes in every Saturday
And says she’s my wife,
And the nurse who will bring me my meds any second. . .
It’s all coming down.
How long do you think we have Ed?
About a year or two, maybe three.
Is the dinosaur the economy Ed?
Greed, or global warming?
Well, in my opinion
It’s lack of relatedness.
If people were able to relate
To trees, rocks, animals, weather, dreams,
Food,
Each other,
The dino would disappear. . .
And the house of cards Ed?
It’s just a metaphor Fred,
Take it easy.
Enter Nurse:
There you are you two.
Here’s your meds Ed.
Beautiful day!
Are you comfortable Fred?
Let me fix your pillow.
— Gary Lindorff
GARY LINDORFF, TCBH!’s resident poet, is an artist, musician, poet and counselor / dream-worker who practices shamanic techniques, and who lives in rural Vermont with his wife Shirley and two dogs. He can be reached at maleotter@gmail.com