Waiting for tulips
April 17, 2009
The Woodcroft-ians were excellent. The Woodcroft Public Library book club asked penetrating questions. Good careful readers. It was wonderful to revisit Doubting Yourself to the Bone. Remember favourite bits. And they had birthday cake! And they sang. It was a lovely evening. Thank you. Thank you. Shawna, Andrea….thank you.
Canadian ARCs (Advance Reading Copies) of Waiting for Columbus will be coming soon. The Knopf Doubleday fall listing arrived yesterday in the mail, and there is Columbus on page 10, the third book, and the first novel in the catalogue!!! This was a pleasant thing. Found a very good Nicaraguan cigar, a Churchill, yesterday, and smoked it on the way home. There will be women in my house when I get home today. Three sisters. Just as long as they leave my pinot alone, this is happy thing. None of them likes pinot so the chances the pinot is there when I get home are high. Here’s today’s sorbet, for those not on the list:
Waiting for tulips
Snow clouds bunch above the garage roof.
A ridge of not-yet-melted snow runs along the ground
next to the back fence. Last remains of winter.
Perhaps you thought we were done with the white stuff.
But there is no complaining about the weather – the weather
doesn’t give a rat’s ass about anything, or anyone.
You place the espresso pot on the side burner of the barbecue –
click the burner on, begin to wait for the gurgling sound
of your thick coffee above the hiss of the burner.
You turn the little propane deck heater on
and sit with the black cat on the bench.
You notice that you can see your breath.
It feels beautiful and mountainous.
Your wife comes out on the deck – looks at you
like you’ve lost your mind – says: “I can see your breath.”
You notice a hawk perched in the power pole across the alley.
Run inside for binoculars.
Get a close up view for a few grey/brown seconds – hawk throws
itself into a gust and disappears.
It’s spring but this feels like fall.
The Blackfoot name for this reverse spring is Mokaapi.
You do not need a weather report to know that these clouds
are snow clouds.
In the morning there will be ten centimetres
of wet snow.
You lean closer to the heater. Use a match to light your cigar.
This is all right. This delay before spring.
You’re fine here on the deck. Warm in the cool air.
Coffee will be ready soon.
You notice that you’re happy.
You were waiting for tulips,
but got a snow storm instead.