The Stranger

I couldn’t come up with a blog post. I got up from my desk and went on a walk.

After a while I came upon someone sitting under a tree. He seemed to be in a reflective mood. I said, “Hi.” He looked at me but didn’t say anything back. I was embarrassed and said, “Oh, sorry. I was talking to the tree.”

I kept walking. Soon after I saw the same reflective person sitting under a different tree. I stopped and said, “How did you get from the other tree to this one? I didn’t see you get up.” I felt awkward again as he looked at me with the same silent eyes. I couldn’t use the same lame excuse that I was talking with the tree.

I continued walking. I walked for a while. I passed other trees, but the person wasn’t under any of them. I thought about him. Who was he? Why didn’t he say anything?

I couldn’t stand it, and walked back to the tree under which I’d last seen him. But he wasn’t there. I walked back to the previous tree. He wasn’t there either.

I was exhausted and sat under the tree. I mulled over what had happened. I looked up when someone said, “Hi.”

The trip into town

I rode my hippo into town. It took a while because the hippo dawdles. I understand. The hippo has no business in town. I did. The hippo was happy hanging out in the barn, eating hay, and watching TV. The hippo’s favorite show is, “What’s My Line.” It’s a TV show from the 1950s. People come on the show, and the panel asks them questions to find out what that person does for work.

I parked the hippo outside Rexall’s Drug Store and went in. I couldn’t find the ointment I’d wanted. I asked one of the employees to help me. She said she’d never heard of it. I asked if they had another one which did the same thing. She looked around. She said, “What about this one?” and handed it to me. I looked at it. It was in a red box. I like red. I thanked her.

I paid and went outside. My hippo wasn’t there. I called out its name. I called out again. I walked home. I went in and had a drink of water. I went to the bathroom and applied the ointment. I looked at my face in the mirror. My image looked back at me. I apologized. My image asked me why. I said I didn’t know.

Me and the Bee

I climbed to the top of the tree. I swayed back and forth in the wind. Down below Billy the bear called up to me, “Hey, Brooks. Come down. I found a bee hive full of honey.” I dove off the tree. Billy the bear caught me. His thick fur felt like I’d jumped into a pillow.

Billy the bear set me down and we ran until we got to the bee hive. Bees were buzzing around like a dust storm. I said I was afraid of getting stung. He said, “The greater the pain, the greater the joy.” I moved my hand towards the hive and got stung. It hurt a great deal and I went and sat on a rock. Billy by now had a paw fully deep in the hive. He pulled out a golden glob and gobbled it down.

With honey matted around the fur of his mouth, he shouted, “Come on, Brooks! It’s delicious.” I waved and shook my head, “No.” A bee flew over and landed on me knee. The bee said, “I’m sorry I stung you.” I said I would be okay. The bee held out one of it’s tiny hands. In its palm was a drop of honey. The bee said, “It’s for you.” I lowered my head and stuck out my tongue. With the tip I tasted I tasted the honey. It was wonderful.

3 for the price of 1

I like to say the word, “The.” Sometimes I’ll make up sentences when I’m by myself of just, “The.” “The the the the the the the. The the the the, the the the. (The.)” I have an ambition to write a book, only using, “The.” I haven’t done it because I think it would be hard to find a publisher. The thing is, I’d love that book and would read it often. It may happen.

…..

Last night I woke up with a desire to go outside. I got out of bed and put on my bathrobe. I went outside. It was dark. The sky was cloudy and I couldn’t see the moon or stars. I got sleepy. I lay down on the grass. I turned on my side. I fell asleep.

When I woke up I was nestled between a sleeping cow and horse who were also laying on the grass. The air was cold, but their bodies warm. When they breathed in, their bodies expanded against mine.

…..

I went to the Ocean. I stood on the outskirts, looking out at the vast expanse of water. The Ocean said, “Are you coming in or not?” I said I didn’t bring a bathing suit. The Ocean said, “Strip down and come on in. I don’t mind.” I looked around. There were some people way down the beach. I figured I could get naked and they wouldn’t see me. I took off my clothes and walked in to the Ocean.

The Ocean said, “I’m so glad you’ve joined me.” I said I was too. I walked until my toes couldn’t touch the bottom. I tread water. The Ocean said, “Lay on your back. I’ll float you.” I lay on my back and it was like I was laying on an air mattress on the water. I didn’t have to do anything to stay afloat.

The Ocean said, “Would you hum me a song?” I said I would. I made up a song. I like humming because I don’t have to come up with words. The Ocean said, “I like your song.” I said thanks.

I looked back towards the beach, but I couldn’t see it anymore. I’d drifted a ways away. I panicked and stopped floating. I went back to treading water and I got a cramp. I had difficulty staying above the water. The Ocean said, “Lay on your back again, and I’ll float you.” I said I was scared because I was far from the shore. The Ocean said, “If you lay back, I’ll carrying you back to the shore.” I had to trust the Ocean because otherwise I probably would have drowned.

I lay on my back again and the Ocean supported me. I caught my breath and relaxed. I was moving towards what I hoped was the shore. The Ocean said, “Would you sing me a song with words this time?” I said I would try.

I sang a song about a duck named Seymour. Seymour was scared of water. He stayed on the ground rather then venture into the lake. One day it rained so much that the ground flooded. Seymour had no choice but to be in water. He was scared. But then the fear passed.

Odds and Ends

The glass of water said, “Hey, Brooks?”

I said, “Yes, glass of water?”

The glass of water said, “Are you gonna drink me or what?”

I said, “I like having you around. You’re my personal lake.”

…..

I was out for a walk when I suddenly began to lift in the air. I went higher and higher. Eventually I hit my head on the top of the atmosphere. It didn’t hurt like if you hit your head on the ceiling of a room. I softly bounced off and hung in the air. I shifted my feet above me and began to walk upside down on the top of the atmosphere. I walked for a awhile.

A seagull began to fly along with me. The sea gull said, “Where are you going?” I said, “I’m just out for a walk. Where are you headed?” The seagull said, “I’m just following you.”

…..

The ghost of John Steinbeck came by. He said, “What are you up to?”

I said I was polishing the silver.

He said, “Are you enjoying yourself?”

I said I wasn’t. The polish smelled. And my hands were getting tired.

The ghost of Steinbeck said, “Why do you do it then?”

I said I’m calmed by shiny things.