November Day

November Day

Sun warm on right cheek
& forearm. Bench hard
on my ass. Shadow of my
hand & pen tip moving
across the page, pen tip
a little moving mountain
of shadow. I look at my
watch again: 12:52. Surf
hitting the rocks & sea
wall, and even an almost
ocean-y sound of waves
breaking on the beach.
Lone seagull standing on
a black rock, picking at
his feathers. Tattered
yellow caution tape on
the rusty fence fluttering.
Blinding sun & its bright
sparkling swath on the
water. A churning foam,
good to see. The mail
truck zipping up Harbor
Street and out to the very
tip of the Point. No mail-
boxes here, but can you
blame him? Reading last
night about the studies
on wisdom. Do we get
any as we get older?
By most measures cog-
nitive function just de-
clines. But we do seem
to get some benefits from
“life experience.” People
react better to big crises,
considering fewer options.
Think positive thoughts
more frequently, & absorb
unpleasantness with less
distress. I forget what else.
The old guys in their lawn
chairs are talking about the
war in Iraq. “It’s a meat
grinder,” they say. “It’s
chopping people up.”
The wind rustles dry leaves
still in the trees, just about
to fall.

(11/7/05; 11/7/06)