What I’m Blogging

During the holidays I like to read some light fiction that raises my spirits. Who better to turn to than Terry Pratchett and his Discworld series? Always entertaining, always fast paced and light, always thought provoking after you recover from rolling on the floor and laughing you nether regions off.

My first venture was a an oldie but a goodie, number eight in the series with a bullet (or more aptly a crossbow bolt), Guards! Guards!

Pratchett introduces us to those lovable characters of Ankh-Morpork’s Night Watch; Captain Vimmes, Carrot, Colon and Nobby. It is a study in the pursuit of power versus the rule of law, with a “thought to be extinct” dragon thrown into the mix to bring the tale to a riotous boil. The denizens of the divided city get a little more than they bargained for while searching for a king, a king with an appetite for barbequed virgins. A very enjoyable read.

Wile ruminating on the nature of politics and power I thought, “what would a holiday season be without some kind of traditional holiday tale?” Well Pratchett delivers with all the ribbons, tinsel and other trimmings of the season; like say pigs.

The second dive into Discworld was a timeless story of the true spirit of the holidays. It is none other than the tale of Hogfather, that magical being who flies his hog pulled sledge around Discworld on Hogswatch eve delivering toys to all the girls and boys in all the lands. This Hogswatch, however, something has gone terribly wrong and Death has to fill in as the Hogfather’s replacement. Follow the adventure as Susan, the Raven, and the Death of Rats try to solve the mystery and save Hogswatch and the very existence of existence. Read to find out why “You’d better watch out…”

Tomorrow is “once more into the breech” day. It is the day to return to the office. Return to paper work. Return to the chaos that is Gigantic Concrete. I am not looking forward to it, as I leave the warm safety of family and home top return to the corporate jungle where the only law is the urban law…

…we’re doomed, of course, so I head for coffee…

Poem: “Urban Law” by Alison Hawthorne Deming from Genius Loci. © Penguin Poets.

Urban Law

Rush hour and the urban outflow pours
across the Million Dollar Bridge. I wait
for the walk-light, cross-traffic slight but
caution’s the rule when the city roars
toward all its separate homes. I get
the sign, little electric man, and step
into the street. A woman turns into
my lane, bearing down, eye-contact,
and still she guns it until I stare and
shake my head in disbelief at her
ferocity. She slows begrudged to let
me pass, runs down the window of her Saab
and shouts, “Why don’t you wait for the light?”
and flips me the bird. I feel weepy like
a punished child, mind sinking to lament,
What’s wrong with the human race? Too many
of us, too crowded, too greedy for space-
we’re doomed, of course, so I head for coffee
and a muffin, walking sad and slow on
the return. I’m waiting again to cross,
picking fingersful of muffin from the
paper sack and watching the phalanx of
cars race by, not even a cell of a
thought in my mind that I might jump the change,
when a man who’s got the green stops,
an executive wearing a crisp white
shirt and shiny red tie, and he raises
his palm to gesture me safely across,
making all the cars behind him wait while
I walk, and together at rush hour that
man and I redeem the whole human race.