Reading Report from Jack Straw, More Family Matters, and Spring Brings Some Serious Pondering
Friday’s reading at Jack Straw, just a day or so from the May Day violence downtown and on the same night as readings by legends like Rae Armantrout and Kwame Dawes (both of whom I was genuinely sorry to miss!)…well, let’s just say my expectations for audience were modest, especially considering the mild sunny weather, nearly perfect. But no – it was packed! I even saw some old friends I hadn’t seen in a while who decided to come out, which was great. It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed listening to the other Jack Straw readers, in particular poet Emily Perez who read fairy tale poems and a really touching tribute to her father.
Unfortunately, I had new bad news about my family that night – this time, the wife and stepson of one of my older brothers were in a car accident while I was at the reading and strangely, they also diagnosed my sister-in-law, because of the x-rays, with pretty advanced pneumonia. My parents – including my mom, who has just gone through her own health crisis – went to the hospital to help out. Yikes! Any good thoughts directed towards my family would be appreciated.
And thank goodness for Saturday clinic hours – I ended up at the doctor’s yesterday, on a beautiful blooming May Saturday at 75 degrees, diagnosed with yet another respiratory infection. I do end up sick after readings quite a bit, it seems. But it didn’t stop me from going out on some wonderful strolls looking at goslings under willow trees, little new baby rabbits (or “minibuns” – which makes them sound delicious, doesn’t it?) and the now-fading blossoms of lilac and cherry and apple in Woodinville and Redmond. I figure, my by-now shredded nerves worrying about my family needed a little distraction. I haven’t been able to write much the last week and have thought about things like, should I have my parents move in with me, or close to me, as they get older? Can I help take care of them? Is it irresponsible of me to try to be a poet in a time when money is so tight? Yet, this kind of angst seems wrong in such beautiful weather…
Hope you all had a wonderful Star Wars day and free comic book day yesterday, and today, a lovely Cinco de Mayo!
