May 2: Glass of Wine, Poet of the Week, Nick Flynn, "Bag of Mice"

 I found Nick Flynn this evening on a website that had a title like 10 of the Most Bad-Ass Contemporary American Poets.  I was curious, so I clicked.  And I have to agree:  Nick Flynn is pretty bad-ass.

Therefore, Nick Flynn is the Poet of the Week.

I'm still not feeling 100 percent tonight.  I took some Motrin when I got home, and then I took a nap.  A nice, long nap.  When I got up, I had rebounded about 70 percent, whether it was the sleep or the medication.  I have more energy right now than I've had all day long.

Nick Flynn's poem for today is stunning, full of dark beauty.  It's one of those poems that makes me want to pick up my pen and write.  And, now, I have some time to do just that.  My only problem is this stupid illness, whatever it is.

Saint Marty hopes to write about a bag of mice soon, maybe after a glass of wine.  Or two.

 Bag of Mice

by:  Nick Flynn

I dreamt your suicide note
was scrawled in pencil on a brown paperbag,
& in the bag were six baby mice. The bag
opened into darkness,
smoldering
from the top down. The mice,
huddled at the bottom, scurried the bag
across a shorn field. I stood over it
& as the burning reached each carbon letter
of what you'd written
your voice released into the night
like a song, & the mice
grew wilder.

I'm in it for the money, too

July 10: Registering for the Race

So, despite my injury, I've decided to run a two-mile race with my daughter this Saturday morning.  I ran about a mile tonight with little trouble.  I think I'll be able to handle the race.  If not, the National Guard is there to hand out water.  I'll just ask one of them to carry me out of the woods.

I registered this afternoon.  I didn't pay for the entry fees yet, so I can still reconsider.  But, my ass isn't throbbing, and I don't feel the need to take any Motrin at the moment.

Besides, Saint Marty needs a new t-shirt.

I'm just running to survive

April 30: Over and Done, Doctor, Good News

I'm over and done with grading and finals and teaching for the semester.  I've handed back the tests and papers to my students who wanted them back.  The rest will reside on my desk in my office for the summer.  Then, I may consign them to the recycle bin, even though I'm supposed to somehow retain all unclaimed papers and tests for, like, two decades.  If I actually followed that rule, I'd need to rent a storage shed for all the trees killed by my students over the years.

Tomorrow afternoon, I'm going to see my doctor.  I'm still not feeling that great, and, with a long weekend of driving and dance competition ahead of me, I don't want to feel like an extra from the TV series The Walking Dead the whole time.  I should have had a check-up a few months ago, so my fever and cough have forced me to face the music.  To be honest, I'm just tired of being sick.

I did receive some good news tonight.  The head of the English Department from the university called me a little while ago, and he offered me two intro to film classes to teach.  I've never taught intro to film before, but I love movies.  That's gotta count for something.  I'm really excited by the offer.  Of course, I said "yes" immediately.  Now, I've got a few months to figure out what the hell I'm going to do.

Saint Marty is ready to take some Motrin and kick back.

I got an offer I couldn't refuse

April 24: Feeling Punky, Motrin, Student Praise

I've been feeling pretty punky most of the day.  I was absolutely exhausted this morning.  I could have put my head down on my desk and fallen asleep for a couple of hours.  I think I had a fever, as well.

This afternoon, I took an 800 mg Motrin, and, let me tell you, I could actually lift my head up after a half hour without my eyes feeling like they were going to explode in my sockets.  I feel so much better, even though I'm still a little tired.

I had my students do my classroom evaluations this afternoon.  One of my students, a smart, young guy, told me at the end of class, "Dude, I gave you the best class evaluation I've ever given in my entire life.  I'm not fuckin' kidding."

I thanked him for being so kind.

"No," he said, "you don't get it.  I told them they should hire you as a full-time professor."

For a moment, I thought about the current contract negotiations going on at the university.  I thought about the threats the administration is making about cancelling the adjunct e-mail accounts and repossessing our laptops.  I thought about the fact that I could never survive on the salary the university is currently paying me.  I smiled at my student and said, "From your laptop to President X's ears."

"Dude," the student said, "I'll call the fuckin' president of the university up and tell him personally.  Do you want me to do that?  I'm serious."

And he was serious.  I could tell.  It made me feel like I've actually made a difference in his life.

Saint Marty actually did some larnin' this semester.  Did you hear that, President X?

Them's words to live by