V-I-R-G-I-N-I-A

I woke up this morning as wordless as the day before. I watched the news. I unfolded the newspaper. Sentiments swirled. Then dark, tiny print gave way to the color of the comic section.

The Family Circus cartoon of the day featured Dolly, with pencil in hand and and two neat pages of letters spread out before her. Her mouth was an oval of concern as she spoke these words:

"I know all my letters. Now, how do I line 'em up to say something?"

Dolly, that's exactly what I want to know.

Comments

  1. LaurenApril 17, 2007 at 5:35 PM

    Two awesome statements made today at the Virginia convention:

    “We have lost the sense of peace that comes with learning.”

    and

    "Words are very weak symbols of our emotions at times like this."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lawyer MamaApril 17, 2007 at 6:10 PM

    Yep. There really aren't any words.

    ReplyDelete
  3. slouching momApril 17, 2007 at 8:09 PM

    Just right. Thank you for writing this. I'm at a loss, and foolishly, I've tried to write about the shootings anyway.

    And they have been the wrong words, maybe exactly because there aren't words.

    ReplyDelete
  4. jenApril 17, 2007 at 8:30 PM

    i know, friend.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mrs. ChickenApril 18, 2007 at 2:00 PM

    Yes. Exacty. A dark day with no words available.

    ReplyDelete
  6. JerriApril 18, 2007 at 6:24 PM

    I would like to know that as well....honestly, there's no alignment of letters to say what we need them to

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shiny Happy People

I have a friend who reads this blog and is, understandably, surprised by the community of commenters that many mutha bloggas elicit. "You've got some enthusiastic supporters out there, huh?" Boz mentioned over lunch this past weekend. "Um, yeah, I guess you could say that. That's how we mommybloggers are. Supportive. Enthusiastic. Yup." And so I got to thinking, not just about my own blog, but about this momosphere in general; and how sunshine, in the form of bright rays of light being continuously blown up people's asses, can get to be cloying. You must know what I mean. Those long rows of comments all praising the hilarity, or the eloquence, or the heart-wrenchinging-ness, or the yes-yes-that's-exactly-the-way-I-feelingness of a given post in a given blog. I've written my fair share of those comments, don't get me wrong. In those cases, that's the only way I can convey how powerfully someone else's words affected me. With some blog
Read more

Three Hours

It was the same damn sky. I left the driveway in my car as a fusion of Over the Rainbow and What a Wonderful World came on the satellite radio. The overall effect of high blue and a gentle warble atop the ukulele should've inspired something like contentment, but instead I listened closely to the lyrics for a meaning I could relate to. It was right there. I didn't have to wait long. The wonderful world over the rainbow is a dream. Before I got into the car I watched a ceremony and fed the baby. Then I drove to book club, where a group of us sat for two hours discussing things like organic food, the ubiquitousness of corn , and too many roosters in my friend's coop. Afterward I tooled over to the gas station to put $55 onto my credit card for transmittal to the Gulf. Soon after my day began--at home, while the baby ate, at ten till nine--a young woman was reading the As on the alphabetical list of victims from the Twin Towers. Z did not come till I returned home, ten minut
Read more

Who Does Number Two Work For?

The Boss will soon have an underling. Barring unforeseen contract disputes or better offers from more prestigious employers, Number Two will begin work sometime around April 22. We're flexible. The Boss strolled in nine days after the agreed upon start date and nobody batted an eyelash. It's a laid back work environment. [Note: If you are not familiar with the theme and naming conventions in this blog--or if you've forgotten, given my 3-month hiatus--here's a recap: The Boss : Our two year old daughter and one of the youngest Johnny Cash impersonators in the USA The Partner : My long suffering husband. It's very difficult being married to me, you know. Me: A work-at-home mother and writer. And, now.... Number Two : Our second child, currently in fetal form, expected to make his or her grand entrance in less than 7 months.] In preparation for Number Two's arrival, I've been hording sleep via daily afternoon naps scheduled during a block of time usually rese
Read more