Invited 55

An invitation in a dream

smoky and alluring

heard with ears hungry

for affection

a spark catching in

the tinder of one heart

catching

spreading

roaring

until

heat-to-toe

the invited feels

awash in flame

afire with yearning

alive with the gift

of being

desired

just six words:

"Close the door and come here."

55

Random Musical Magic 55

The refrain from "Major Tom"

The guitar solo from the album track of "My Sharona"

The insane time signature of "The Crunge"

The first time I heard the flute part in "Hocus Pocus"

The opening drums to "Ballroom Blitz"

The fact that John Lennon doesn't actually ask you to DO anything in "Imagine"

Good stuff.

55

Novel 55

If I keep to the schedule I made last week, I'll finish my current novel in just over one month. Do you want to know my secret for writing novels? It's not really too deep. Start writing. Keep writing. Write almost every day. Outline thoroughly. When something in your novel bores you, change it.

Easy.

55

Belief Alone 55

He believed in love so powerful it needed no touch -- love that could abide across any distance and against all temptations.

She believed in love so vast it could sweep away all worry, all despair, all pain, everything.

If only one of them had spoken up during Witterston's Shakespeare class, then they might have met.

55

Waiting 55

She waited for the right time to say something.

The right time.

The right place.

The right person to say it to.

She waited.

Even though she knew ...

Every time is a time.

Every place is a place.

Every person has the potential to hear.

She waited ... and that was okay.

Being ready is important.

55

A Sensitive Bird 55

"Crikey, Mate!" the parrot said. "Crikey!"

"Where'd you get that parrot anyway?" he asked her.

"Crikey, Mate! Crikey!"

"Grandpa brought him back from Down Under," she sighed. "I sure miss Grandpa."

"Crikey!"

"Well, it's been fun, but I couldn't take that every night. See you round."

"Oh. Okay."

...

"Good parrot," she said, once he'd gone.

55

Elbow Sex 55

Middle seat on the airplane.

Politely, he kept his arms off of both armrests.

And yet ... 

Her elbow, old and pale, settled lightly against the flesh just above his own.

Rested there gently.

Shifted occasionally.

Made him wonder what she looked like

naked, this aging

but not yet ancient,

woman.

Middle seats are so dangerous.

55

I Should Stop Sitting Around On My Ass Moping 55

This 55 is the third 55 that I've tried to write tonight.

This 55 is the first 55 that's light on contrived insight.

This 55 doesn't make me desire a knife right through my brain.

This 55 doesn't make me inclined to jump out in front of a train.

This 55 ... what can it ignite?

55

Trivett Wingo 55

Sticks on skins

the hammer pulse of the soul

crashing hoofbeats a signal

of horsemen approaching

ratcheting backblasts

from an

infernal cannonry

impacts

of mountaintops

streaking down from the sky

rattling your chest

your ears

your teeth

your guts

cataclysmic

explosive

clattering

battering

shattering reason to shards

that scatter on wind

a krakatoa

of

rock

55

Star Trek 55

If you don't love Star Trek, go see Star Trek.

If you do love Star Trek, go see Star Trek.

If you hate Star Trek, well, you probably shouldn't go see Star Trek.

Music: Terrific

McCoy: Amazing

Effects: Spectacular

Dialogue: Clever

Nit-Picks: Way too many to count, but what the hell . . . it's Star Trek.

55

Pure Awesomeness

I wonder how many times Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Rob Reiner watched this video.

On Mortal Insects 55

Dead yellowjacket on the playground, wings moving in the wind. Danger laid low by the hand of time or nature, now become the object of childish dares. Will the poke of a stick rouse it? Do they risk its sting, scattering pebbles across that still, banded form?

Or is their boldness only a delicious pretense?

55

Warmth 55

Oatmeal.

Coffee.

Trust.

A child's affection.

A parent's support.

The way a pane of sunlight

wanders across my living-room floor

in the late afternoon of a spring day.

Cats.

Kindness.

Strangers who take a moment to smile.

The smell of a freshly cut lawn.

Fireflies.

Curling up

beneath

the covers

alone

or

with love.

55

Catching Yourself 55

I am sooooo depressed.

Wait a minute. Just wait, and think --

Is there pizza in the refrigerator? 

Leftover pizza, from last night?

It was just last night. Have you really already forgotten 

how kickass that pizza was?

Maybe you should go nuke yourself some pizza, put on a CD, and chill.

That's all I'm saying.

55

One of the Great Underrated Riffs of the 1990s

It's really too bad Havana 3 a.m. only made one CD with this lineup. The video here is nothing special, but I love this song.

Her Blues 55

Ana knew she was in trouble when she found that she couldn't work up the energy to finish the dishes. They were Matty's chore this week, the dishes, but he was too young to wash the knives and knew to leave them for his mother to clean.

Who can't motivate herself to wash two knives?

55

Red Shift 55

When I was young, the stars were closer.

The moon was a place to go.

There would be cities under the seas,

and cars would fly

and sooner or later someone would invent warp drive

and we could all get out of here.

Earth is so much smaller now.

Yet the stars are still faraway.

55

Stick With This Until You Get Through The Solo

Assuming you like guitar solos, that is. This is a very, very over-the-top song by one of the most over-the-top bands ever, but it's still awesome, and the solo is even more awesomer. It's right around 3:28 if you're too impatient to listen through all of the fantasy bombast and Christopher Lee narration that comes before it.

The Majesty of Rock

Compare and Contrast 55

Intrinsic 

Extrinsic

I 

You

have  

have

needs    

wishes

and issues       

and hopes

and desires   

 and dreams

I  

You

fear   

act

and fret   

and attempt

and avoid    

and achieve

I  

You

watch  

succeed

and envy      

and thrive

and denigrate       

and encourage

myself with    

others with

comparisons  

your example

I  

You

can't seem    

already

to change        

have

55

The Decline and Fall of Pop Music 55

Oh for the days

when pop songs were five minutes long

and had great guitar hooks

and used their lyrics to tell a complete and completely believable story

with wry humor and linguistic flair

and broke in the middle for

a bass solo,

a keyboard solo,

AND

a guitar solo.

Diesel, where did you go?

55

(Youtube took the video down, but the song is here.)

Worth a Listen

Sorry there doesn't seem to be a real video for this one!

Double the Fun!

Enthusiectomy 55

I detach and stare blankly

Buffered

Muffled

Afloat in something formless

looking through dull lenses at the lives moving by, 

one of them apparently my own.

Nothing stops me from reaching for passion, 

except that 

my passion for reaching 

has slouched 

down 

in 

apathy. 

Things happen 

yet 

I no longer seem to act. 

Why not?

55

Prodding the Plodding 55

Wake up!

There is so very much to see and do in this world - beauty and worth in bewildering abundance wherever you turn. What fool sits slumped and morose in the midst of glowing wonders? 

Slap him. 

Shake the senseless jackanapes by his collar!

A bold and startling universe hangs in wait for us all.

55

Friends 55

They know

what you like

what you don't

what makes you laugh

what really cheeses you off

how you think

when you're sad

who your dream date is

when to push you

when to lay off

when to buy you a drink

when to just shut up and listen

and

how 

to 

make 

you 

smile.

55

Resolutions

He wanted HD TV for Christmas.

She wanted a digital camera with more megapixels.

He got her a very nice necklace.

She got him expensive power tools.

He pretended to be happy.

She pretended to be happy.

Luckily, each of them picked the same New Year's Resolution:

I resolve to just SAY what I want.

55