Two nights in Queenstown and now I'm sailing off towards Doubtful Sound.
Like any good member of the Jacobsen family, one of my stops in Queenstown was the local cemetery. If curiosity killed the cat, then I always like to know how the cat died, how they were remembered and how they were buried.
This was my favorite tombstone. And envisioning the conversation at the mortuary.
"Mum loved her grandkids."
"Yes she did."
"Mum loved her husband."
"Yes she did. And Grant loved her, too. They were soulmates."
"Mum hated heart attacks."
"Damn things killed her."
"Of all the great things Mum did for us, let's always remember those times when she played the slots."
"Cherries for you, Mum. Cherries and Triple Sevens. R.I.P."
THE DIRT THAT PHIL SENT
The dirt that Phil sent arrived today.
It came in the mail from so far away.
Packed in peanuts and a customs tag,
There is even a stamp on the outside of the bag.
Reaching in to get the mail
Expecting bills or cards, but to no avail.
Sat there I did, below the box
Treated it carefully, as if it came from detox
Examined the tag, considered how far
This package had traveled by plane, (boat?) and by car
Squealing with excitement I rushed on home
Too busy, too busy to answer the phone!
Carefully spread out the paper towel
Dumping the contents I spread it with a trowel.
Its reddish, gritty, and a scouring sort
Grabbed a hand lens for a first report
Why is it red? What is it made of?
Its rusty, its dusty the powdered red basalt
Hmm, it looks like tuff from the first assault
Pulverized like the stuff on the roads
That is spread increasing traction it is sowed
Nothing living, nothing at all
Weird. Just weird. I make a call
To use a microscope looking for life
Nothing there, oh what strife!
Suddenly it doesn’t seem so far away
That southern most continent so far away
The dirt that Phil sent arrived today.
It came in the mail from so far away.
wow what a shitty tombstone, but i cant see straight for all the meds Im on for my toothache
Posted by: mama13 on October 15, 2006 06:08 PMWhoa. Phil's dirt inspired minor hysteria, beautiful poetry and impromptu science. I wonder what would happen if he sent a plant?
Posted by: Shane on October 17, 2006 03:04 AMI thought the only plants in that area of Antarctica were little moss patches and maybe algae. Do they have grass at MacTown?
Nah, don't need plants. Dirt, well, pulverised lava rock is cool enough for us.
Posted by: Desert Turtle on October 18, 2006 01:28 AM