I can still remember the first time I read "And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street ..."
It was breathtaking in its absurdity ... I can still remember laughing along with the story line as the little boy's story got more outlandish and far fetched ... It was delightful, and it has stuck with me ... I've harboured a lifelong dream of one day standing on the curb of Mulberry Street in order to find out whether such outrageous and outlandish things actually happen ... Maybe one day ... but for now, I have to content myself watching for unusual and outrageous happenings wherever I find myself ... and remarkably enough that does happen ...
On my trip east and west on the TransCanada this past month I saw many sights (I could try to do this to poetry, but I would fear offending the ghost of Robert Service by waxing about the strange sights I've seen ...) and unusual happenings ... On the way east I passed truck after truck with huge blades and cowlings - I would assume they were for windmill generators being installed somewhere ... I passed a flat deck with a shrink wrapped Armoured Personnell Carrier(Shrink wrapped ?? The thing is armoured - what will happen to it on the HIGHWAY ????)
On the way west, I was more aware of the traffic around me and the traffic I was meeting and I had a few moments of frivolity ... Meeting a convoy of Canadian military trucks and realizing about half the drivers were female soldiers caused me pause - then I remembered seeing female Israeli soldier back in 88 - the high heels and the machine guns were a provocative combination ... I passed a pick up truck that had two beautiful golden labs as co-pilots - they were both looking out the front window looking quite delighted with the cross country tour ... But the topper of the drive west was being in a line of traffic only to glance to my left and see an OPP cruiser sail by me in the passing lane - then about three cars forward he slammed on the brakes as a car pulled out to pass without glancing behind him to see if the lane was clear - the ensuing chaos of flashing lights, braking cars and and irrate police man pulling over a careless driver was entertaining ...
In the six days of driving I saw many strange and even queer things ... and if I was a poet like Robert Service, I would wax poetically about them ... but I'll leave the poetry to the likes of Briney, Atwood and Service ... and just tell you - it was a fun drive ...
There are strange things done 'neath the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold.
The arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold.
The northern lights have seen queer sights,
But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of Lake LeBarge
I cremated Sam McGee..
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