“Blurtso sets a world record”
Blurtso? said Alex. Hmm? said Blurtso. Why are you hiding? Because of the people, said Blurtso. The TV trucks? said Alex, and reporters and paparazzi and helicopters? Yes, said Blurtso. Why are they here? said Alex. I competed in my first meet today, said Blurtso. And? said Alex. And I jumped 276 meters, said Blurtso. So? said Alex. It was a new world record. Oh, said Alex.
“Bonny and Ditto share some quality time” (XXI)
No, said Bonny, the stream never flows back.
“Graham Cracker Crumbs” (XI)
“It is early"
Of course, it is early.
You will hear other voices
sing other songs.
You will choose one.
You will come to know
the depth of the shadows
in the grasses.
You will see friends
grow and wither,
and dreams and sorrows
slip away.
Will you forget these songs?
Will they vanish in the beauty
with which they cannot compete,
the white mountain, the red rose,
the resolute eyes of a lover?
Or will they remain,
and remind you of the glow
your eyes had once,
and the magic they inspired
in the heart of another?
“Blurtso sticks his landing”
Spring with the knees… weight forward… over the skis…
246.3 meters! cried the coach.
Eight inches short of a world record!
“Blurtso and Alex do brunch” (III)
Harlan said you went skiing, said Alex. Yes, said Blurtso, and the strangest thing happened. What? said Alex. I was invited to join the ski team. Really? said Alex. In what event? The ski jump, said Blurtso, my first practice is today.
What?!
“Blurtso and Harlan go skiing”
Ready? said Harlan. Ready, said Blurtso.
I wonder why the people at the lodge are cheering?
“Blurtso looks at the snow” (XXXVI)
Who’s that? said Harlan. That’s a bird I found, said Blurtso, looking for food in the snow. It’s hard to find food in the snow, said Harlan. Yes, said Blurtso, and hard to keep warm. It's good to be compassionate in winter, said Harlan. Yes, said Blurtso, very good.
“Blurtso looks at the snow” (XXXV)
Hmm, thought Blurtso, would you look at that...
...a bird in the snow, tossing his beak from side to side,
looking for food.
……………………………………………
“Blurtso feels poorly”
I think the most common cause of feeling poorly,
is eating poorly.
“Blurtso glides like a goldfish”
Swimming can even make a donkey feel graceful.
“Blurtso hears a whisper” (III)
Harlan? said Blurtso. What? said Harlan. I’ve been thinking, said Blurtso, that we shouldn’t get a mongoose. Why not? said Harlan. Because, said Blurtso, it might make the snakes angry. You're right, said Harlan. And the last thing we want, said Blurtso, is a barnful of angry snakes. That’s for sure, said Harlan. Right now, said Blurtso, they’re not bothering anyone, and they scarcely make a sound and always keep out of sight. That’s true, said Harlan. I’ve never seen one, said Blurtso. Neither have I, said Harlan. I wonder if it’s sad to be a snake, said Blurtso, always keeping quiet and staying out of sight? I wouldn’t know, said Harlan, I’m never out of sight. Yes that’s true, said Blurtso, is it hard to be so noticeable? Sometimes, said Harlan. Do you ever wish you were a snake? said Blurtso. No, said Harlan. I guess snakes have it pretty good, said Blurtso, never being noticed. Yes, said Harlan, I suppose they do. Except, said Blurtso, that everyone dislikes them. Yes, said Harlan, there is that.
“Blurtso restrains himself”
I go through the day and I am Blurtso
and people recognize me and say “hello Blurtso”
and the cavern of yearning wells up and bubbles to the surface
and I paint the tip of an iceberg with sentimental sounds
that I restrict to not become tiresome.
And so does everyone else.
“Blurtso counts the stars in the sky”
It’s very clear tonight, thought Blurtso, and the stars are bright. I wonder how many there are? I wonder if there are more stars than there are grains of sand, or blades of grass? I wonder why we want to count things?
“Graham Cracker Crumbs” (X)
“In an instant”
Easily,
in an instant,
you could have not been born.
You could have had nothing.
You could have lost
the sun, the sky,
the slow moon ascending,
and the harmony
and flicker of leaves.
You could have lost
the rain’s splash
exciting the soil,
the blue beyond,
and the light
and absence of light.
You could have lost everything.
And I could have lost the same,
never knowing the cure
for thirst in a world without you.
“Blurtso looks at the snow” (XXXIV)
Hmm, thought Blurtso, would you look at that…
Not a single moving thing, except the snow.
The moving are all indoors... maybe I should be outside.
“Blurtso hears a whisper” (II)
Harlan? said Blurtso. What? said Harlan. Did you hear that? Yes, said Harlan. Do you think our snake is back? said Blurtso. Yes, said Harlan. What do you think he’s doing? said Blurtso. I don’t know, said Harlan. Why do you suppose, said Blurtso, that people dislike snakes? I don’t know, said Harlan. Have you ever been bitten by one? said Blurtso. No, said Harlan. I suppose they don’t all bite, said Blurtso. No, said Harlan, I suppose they don’t. What animals do snakes dislike? said Blurtso. I’ve heard, said Harlan, that snakes dislike mongeese. Have you ever seen a mongoose? said Blurtso. Yes, said Harlan. What do they look like? said Blurtso. They’re like ferrets, said Harlan, only bigger with mean-looking noses. Do you think we should get one? said Blurtso. I'm not sure, said Harlan, we might be happier with snakes.
“Blurtso hears a whisper” (I)
Harlan? said Blurtso. What? said Harlan. Did you hear that? said Blurtso. Yes, said Harlan. What do you think it is? said Blurtso. I don’t know, said Harlan. It’s coming from downstairs, said Blurtso. Yes, said Harlan. Can you hear any breathing? said Blurtso. No, said Harlan. It must be very small, said Blurtso. Yes, said Harlan. Maybe it’s a bird, said Blurtso. Or a snake, said Harlan. A snake? said Blurtso. Yes, said Harlan. Don’t they go south? said Blurtso. I’m not sure, said Harlan. They must, said Blurtso, Boston is too cold for a snake. Unless he’s in a barn, said Harlan. Yes, said Blurtso, with solar heating and laminated windows. You have laminated windows? said Harlan. Yes, said Blurtso. No wonder it’s so warm, said Harlan. Can snakes climb ladders? said Blurtso. I don’t think so, said Harlan, unless they’re circus snakes. Circus snakes? said Blurtso. Yes, said Harlan. Hey, said Blurtso, there he goes again! Yes, said Harlan. But that was a jerky sound, said Blurtso, it didn’t sound like a snake at all. No it didn’t, said Harlan. Unless, said Blurtso, it was a circus snake imitating another animal. Yes, said Harlan. Did you hear that? said Blurtso. No, said Harlan. That’s what I mean, said Blurtso, I think our snake is gone. I don’t know, said Harlan, snakes can be very quiet. That’s true, said Blurtso, we could have a barnful of snakes and not even know it. Yes, said Harlan. Maybe I should pull up the ladder, said Blurtso, can you hear anything now? No, said Harlan. Neither can I, said Blurtso. Maybe we should get some sleep, said Harlan. I don't know, said Blurtso, it’s going to be hard to sleep with all the silence of snakes.
“Blurtso sees a sunset”
What a nice sunset. I wish I had a camera. But I don’t.
I wonder if things are more sublime, when you can't save them?
“Blurtso acts involuntarily”
If I can’t voluntarily stop myself
from acting voluntarily,
I’m not acting voluntarily.
“Blurtso and Alex do brunch” (V)
What are you taking this semester? said Alex. I’m taking a class called “Nature or Nurture,” said Blurtso. Of course, said Alex, the debate over the effect of heredity versus environment on personal development. Really? said Blurtso, I thought it was a spelling class.
