At the red light, a circle of black specks dove
down above patient automobiles and their
impatient owners.

But the specks were birds in
figure eights, repeating their dive a thousand times.
Together their motion made soft a black cloud
rolling at a lucid sky

whose blue was not air but a clear glass wall
narrow as the street but infinitely high
against which the black birds would rise
and fall

while the motorists froze; thought of
nothing at all
but the movement of movement
and a longing for fall.

I’ve come to the conclusion that my teeth won’t be done this month, or next month, or anytime this season…more like August, if I’m lucky.

“You were in my dream,” Doc said.
“Oh really?” I was not amused.
“Yeah, except I wasn’t sleeping…it was kind of like a daydream. I was just thinking, where’s Audubon?”

When Doc gets nervous about this long, exhaustive process, he starts faux hitting on me. In an anxious sort of way. In this Round 46, he wanted to shave my upper pre-molars because “they’re not pointy enough so they don’t fit together well with the bottom teeth.” Why didn’t he figure this out three years ago, or two years ago, or last month when he said I was almost entirely finished? My teeth and bite are still moving constantly, so I refused to let him shave off more of my teeth. I’m hoping that when I return in two weeks, he’ll agree that they don’t need to be shaved.

Now I’m wearing horrible elastics from the top right canine (Formerly Impacted Tooth) to the bottom left canine — that’s across the front of my mouth & tongue, if you’re following along — as well as a second elastic from the FIT canine down to the lower right canine. The intention is to adjust my midline back into a centered position, but I feel like it’s recreating the crossbite and only allowing my right molars to meet now, which means I can’t chew on the left side. It’s really horrible and uncomfortable. I know I’m going to come back in two weeks and Doc will do something entirely different, and then another two weeks will go by, and then another, and then it’ll be spring and then it’ll be summer and my bite will still be getting readjusted and I’ll still be wearing ugly elastics all up in my mouth….Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

In non-orthodontal adventures, did you know there is a NASA channel? I discovered it last night and it’s all I can watch now. Absolutely fascinating. And appropriate, since there’s a great lunar eclipse tonight.

Brief summary of Beyond Belief: two 9/11 widows from the Boston area decide to turn their grief into positive outreach & understanding. They help widows in Afghanistan by funding ongoing development projects in microfinance, trade & business education, etc.

Really brilliant film, very beautifully shot and edited as well. Made me remember why I wanted to make documentaries on international issues in the first place, and really made me want to return to Thailand and with a proper crew (or at least a proper videographer) and make an amazing doc about the Burmese human rights movement in Thailand. But that’s another story.

Go see this film — it’s very moving, but not schmaltzy; mostly because the women whose stories it tells are very honest and engaging people. The directors and women profiled spoke tonight at the Q&A. One of their partners is Women for Women International, a former UUSC partner whose founder, Zainab, I had the pleasure of meeting back in 2003. Excellent org. DONATE! And go see Beyond Belief!

Sadly, I had to cancel my Germany trip this week due to plague, but it’s allowed me to spend some time finally editing the tiny bit of footage I shot in Thailand and Laos a few months ago. Enjoy!

This yellow striped green
Caterpillar, climbing up
The steep window screen

Constantly (for lack
of a full set of legs) keeps
Humping up his back.

It’s as if he sent
By a sort of semaphore
Dark omegas meant

To warn of Last Things.
Although he doesn’t know it,
He will soon have wings,

And I, too, don’t know
Toward what undreampt condition
Inch by inch I go.

by Richard Wilbur, always a favorite

My stay in that city was like a dream
And the dream lasted for years.

I was, in fact, not interested in anything
So long as I heard a voice dictating verses.

And in that way I invented a life,
And thus my destiny was being fulfilled.

Some people believed that I was theirs,
So they put trust in my disguises.

I reproach myself for that,
For I wanted to be different,
Trustworthy, brave, noble-minded.

Later on I would only say: why reach so high?
I am and will be lame,
Which is no one’s concern.

- Czeslaw Milosz

This is from an email I got from my friend B. I thought the info is worthy of reposting…

I want to encourage everyone to vote tomorrow. Tomorrow is the most
significant primary that I can remember in Massachusetts, and making our
voices heard is empowering and–I believe–our civic duty. It can also be
fun!

In Massachusetts you can vote in the primary if you’re registered as a
Democrat, a Republican, or if you’re unenrolled or independent. If you’re
registered as a Democrat or a Republican, you can only vote in that
primary. If you’re unenrolled/independent, you can pick a ballot for
either primary at your polling location. Voting in the primary does not
change your party status–i.e., you’ll still be an independent when you’re
done voting.

If you are not sure whether you are registered or what your status is,
you can call your local city hall and find out. Some numbers for that:

Boston: 617-635-4635
Cambridge: 617-349-4361
Somerville: 617-625-6600

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