Enga mellom fjella

Day after the new moon

Day after the new moon

Jaundiced crescent in the western sky,
pale orb that follows the sun's descent,
to what sorrows will you abandon us,
those who cannot sleep through pitch-coal nights,
how many days until your light
annoints these flighty stars
and smites cold embers stoked by pagan rites,
strengthens your glow from jaundiced might;
what prayers are muttered your way tonight,
to heal your return tomorrow.

© Kåre Enga 2008 [164.504] 2008-02-08

IMAGES:

Broomsticks scraping the clouding sky; arms flapping on the clothesline; chocolate covered orange jelly; hot honeyed beans.

BLOGVILLE:

I agree that one should treat one's friends just as friends and not have token hyphenated-friends. Having lived in neighborhoods where I was the minority racially and otherwise, I can tell you that the outside world may not agree with my/your/our assessment. We still live in a highly bigoted culture that defines us and our friendships in unjustified ways.

A response (edited) to Fivesixer about labeling friends:

I understand your passion. One wants to have just friends and not have to hyphenate them.

However, here in the Plains, racism/sexism is alive and well.

And in New York it is alive and well also.

Although, you may ideally believe in color-blindness, others do not.

Case in point: Look at the housing problems of a big Eastern city. Choose Buffalo ... Ain't no Black folks welcome in West Seneca. No Gay folk in Cheetowaga (top 10 list in least % gay). Ricans still being stopped in Kenmore for 'loud mufflers'?

Ideally, the Civil Rights movement made improvements, but there is a long way to go culturally.

Interracial marriages are still verboten most places (how many are there in Akron? Are they still fighting the Indian Wars against the Tonawandas?) and having a 'gay' friend can stigmitize one to the point where the friendship is ended. Even having poor friends can be an issue. People are judged by who they associate with.

For instance, my mother lives in Amherst. Hard to be dirt-poor in that town!

Ideally you have friends. Not hyphenated friends, just friends, and that is SO important. This is a good thing.

It's just not everyone's reality. Not here ... not there.

For data check out this wonderful site (by categories and cities over 5,000):

http://city-data.com

Re West Seneca: 97.4% white

Top Ten cities over 50,000 with least percentage gay population:

1. Dubuque, IA (pop. 57,696): 0.1%
2. Orland Park, IL (pop. 55,520): 0.2%
3. Waukesha, WI (pop. 67,814): 0.2%
4. Manhattan, KS (pop. 50,737): 0.2%
5. Orem, UT (pop. 90,857): 0.2%
6. Grand Forks, ND (pop. 50,372): 0.2%
7. Bismarck, ND (pop. 58,333): 0.2%
8. Idaho Falls, ID (pop. 52,786): 0.2%
9. Cheektowaga, NY (pop. 79,988): 0.2%
10. Carmel, IN (pop. 60,570): 0.2%

found at: http://www.city-data.com/top2/c13.html

ME:

Blitering idiot that I am I stayed at home instead of getting out while the weather was good. Managed to put shirts out on the line to dry in the breeze. That's an advantage here in Kansas.

Where my mother lives in WNY, it is impossible. I grew up with a utility room where we hung the wash during the winter. In the summer? Out on the line. I love wash dried on a line!

Ate flounder and asparagus for supper last night. Thanks to spun2sugar for the idea. I could live in a place where seafood was cheap. But ... I live in a state known for beef (and the prices have been skyrocketing).

Kansas: 53º, sunny and windy. ARGH! The Front came through while I was typing this! It's 38º on its way to 11º tonight! I will not be dancing naked covered in honey by moonlight ... shucks ...

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