Quick Repairs

On the upper deck, through the sliding glass doors of our kitchen, you can sit amidst the high tree tops, open a book over your chest, close your eyes and hear animals scratching a living. And birds tweet-tweet and trill and I like the tiny mallet sounds of the woodpeckers.

The New Sensation is the verdure, for it was a short and sudden Spring. It awakens a strange temptation in me to lean in close and wash my face in the green waxiness. And breath it in, like how I'd do with cash.

Down by the timber-clear, the crick is transparent and rippling over small rounded stones. Near by there are three tulip gardens. These are from some years ago, planted by some newly sober man. Still well cared for, anonymously, (by one of my house-mates I suppose) they are late blooming this year.

We have a terrific "Sober House" arrangement. The men are older (two of them already nonchalant cancer survivors) and we're hip to the famous "broken window theory", in regards to communal living. The house is made spotless each Sunday and we keep it that way through the week.

No one here would think of leaving a cup or a fork in the sink, for instance. No one leaves any personal items, save books or magazines, in the common areas.

It keeps everyone calm, I notice. Seven men at peace, including me. Of course it's a very large house.

This doesn't lead to --- or spring from--- any contract. It's not an edict from above, it's not an order from a mad sea captain.
It's a mutual discovery passed down from earlier tenants: Fix 'broken windows' immediately.
Don't give license by slacking off, don't take license when you see someone else slacking off.
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I had some bad luck over the last seven months. Evicted from a slum. Fired from a phony-baloney job. Maybe a tornado will take me to a better place, maybe a lightening strike will cure my neurasthenia. (Old fashioned word. Means dysautonomia, don't you know.)

I don't think sobriety is paying off yet but I seem to have some friends with Jesus.

I mean, Christ..! God looking over children and drunks, that's something you start to see all around you once you've finally seen it.