Friday, May 07, 2010
Haiku Friday: Texas
I really do love Texas, even though I am not from here. There is something about the space and the openness that really speaks to me. Gravel beneath me-- I'm ok with that. Sure, there are some "issues" here and there with Texas, but that is true of everything I love.
A few days ago, someone I was speaking with assumed I had grown up here (a mistake not many people make). I took that as a real compliment, and it reminded me of a story about my Dad. Several years ago, my parents were traveling in rural Ireland, and had dinner at a small pub, then stayed until closing talking to the locals and having a grand old time-- it appeared they were used to American visitors. After one last round, one of the Irishmen leaned over to my father and asked, "so, are you Irish on both sides of your family, or just one?" My dad responded, "Actually, I'm the first Irishman in my family." Maybe it was the beer, but they all accepted that as perfectly true, and so it was.
So, let's haiku about Texas. Make it what you will. And in the individualistic spirit of the place, we will relax the usual rules-- just make it three lines, with however many syllables you want.
Here is mine:
I'm used to dirt lots
But this one.. there! A turkey!
And the driveway goes on for miles.
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Texan author and my own personal role model Robert E. Howard wrote this poem to commemorate his time in the hill country outside Fredericksburg. Aside from the Alpine area, that's my favorite part of Texas to just sit and enjoy. It reminds me so much of the German countryside... there is a feeling of an untamed wildness and great antiquity, untouched by the superficiality of the modern. Anyway, no poem of my own, but rather a quote from Howard's "Cimmeria":
I remember
The dark woods, masking slopes of sombre hills;
The grey clouds' leaden everlasting arch;
The dusky streams that flowed without a sound,
And the lone winds that whispered down the passes.
Vista upon vista marching, hills on hills,
Slope beyond slope, each dark with sullen trees,
Our gaunt land lay. So when a man climbed up
A rugged peak and gazed, his shaded eye
Saw but the endless vista--hill on hill,
Slope beyond slope, each hooded like its brothers.
It was gloomy land that seemed to hold
All winds and clouds and dreams that shun the sun,
With bare boughs rattling in the lonesome winds,
And the dark woodlands brooding over all,
Not even lightened by the rare dim sun
Which made squat shadows out of men; they called it
Cimmeria, land of Darkness and deep Night.
I remember
The dark woods, masking slopes of sombre hills;
The grey clouds' leaden everlasting arch;
The dusky streams that flowed without a sound,
And the lone winds that whispered down the passes.
Vista upon vista marching, hills on hills,
Slope beyond slope, each dark with sullen trees,
Our gaunt land lay. So when a man climbed up
A rugged peak and gazed, his shaded eye
Saw but the endless vista--hill on hill,
Slope beyond slope, each hooded like its brothers.
It was gloomy land that seemed to hold
All winds and clouds and dreams that shun the sun,
With bare boughs rattling in the lonesome winds,
And the dark woodlands brooding over all,
Not even lightened by the rare dim sun
Which made squat shadows out of men; they called it
Cimmeria, land of Darkness and deep Night.
Bluebonnets with Indian Paintbrush
You can't replicate it, or fake it
Only God could make those colors.
You can't replicate it, or fake it
Only God could make those colors.
As the Dixie Chicks sang
A field of bluebonnets and a blanket made of stars
It sounds good to me.
A field of bluebonnets and a blanket made of stars
It sounds good to me.
# posted by 
: 9:35 AM
: 9:35 AM
American by birth.
Southern by luck.
And Texan by the grace of God.
Alright:
"Big hair; big egos.
Sense of specialness that sucks.
Glad I'm not Texan."
So are we. Glad you're not a Texan that is.
"Pantera's from England!"
Lane beat me to it, but seriously. If you're going to call someone out on music at least be right. Pantera, very much from Texas.
"Texas music, bleh!
Willie yodeling, Pantera screaming
Nothing to dance to."
I guess you forgot the two-step and waltz, that can be done in any number of tiny dancehalls that dot this great land. Lest we also forget any number of Tejano bands, zydeco, polka, and other styles that play all over this state. If you can't find something to dance to, then you just don't know how to dance.
Also, lets not forget that in addition to Pantera and Willie Nelson, the great State of Texas has brought the world Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Holly, ZZ Top, Roy Orbison, Janis Joplin, Doug Sahm, and the late great T-Bone Walker. Plus, about a million country, bluegrass, folk, gospel, and Tejano artists and bands.
Finally, like Lane (again) I'll let someone else do my speaking for me. Take it away Gary P.:
You ask me what I like about Texas
I tell you it's the wide open spaces!
It's everything between the Sabine and the Rio Grande.
It's the Llano Estacado,
It's the Brazos and the Colorado;
Spirit of the people down here who share this land!
It's another burrito, it's a cold Lone Star in my hand
It's a quarter for the jukebox boys
Play the Sons of the Mother Lovin' Bunkhouse Band
You ask me what I like about Texas
It's the big timber round Nacadoches
It's driving El Camino Real into San Antone
It's the Riverwalk in Mi Tierra
Dancing to the Cotton-eyed Joe
It's stories of the Menger Hotel and the Alamo!
Hey, you ask me what I like about Texas
It's Blue Bonnets and indian paint brushes
Swimming in the sacred waters of Barton Springs
It's body surfing the Freo
It's Saturday night in Del Rio!
Driving across the border for some cultural exchange!
It's another burrito, with a cold Lone Star in my hand!
It's a quarter to four, the jukebox boy
Play The Son's of the Mother Lovin' Bunkhouse Band
You ask me what I like about Texas
I could tell you...but it would take all night long..
Southern by luck.
And Texan by the grace of God.
Alright:
"Big hair; big egos.
Sense of specialness that sucks.
Glad I'm not Texan."
So are we. Glad you're not a Texan that is.
"Pantera's from England!"
Lane beat me to it, but seriously. If you're going to call someone out on music at least be right. Pantera, very much from Texas.
"Texas music, bleh!
Willie yodeling, Pantera screaming
Nothing to dance to."
I guess you forgot the two-step and waltz, that can be done in any number of tiny dancehalls that dot this great land. Lest we also forget any number of Tejano bands, zydeco, polka, and other styles that play all over this state. If you can't find something to dance to, then you just don't know how to dance.
Also, lets not forget that in addition to Pantera and Willie Nelson, the great State of Texas has brought the world Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Holly, ZZ Top, Roy Orbison, Janis Joplin, Doug Sahm, and the late great T-Bone Walker. Plus, about a million country, bluegrass, folk, gospel, and Tejano artists and bands.
Finally, like Lane (again) I'll let someone else do my speaking for me. Take it away Gary P.:
You ask me what I like about Texas
I tell you it's the wide open spaces!
It's everything between the Sabine and the Rio Grande.
It's the Llano Estacado,
It's the Brazos and the Colorado;
Spirit of the people down here who share this land!
It's another burrito, it's a cold Lone Star in my hand
It's a quarter for the jukebox boys
Play the Sons of the Mother Lovin' Bunkhouse Band
You ask me what I like about Texas
It's the big timber round Nacadoches
It's driving El Camino Real into San Antone
It's the Riverwalk in Mi Tierra
Dancing to the Cotton-eyed Joe
It's stories of the Menger Hotel and the Alamo!
Hey, you ask me what I like about Texas
It's Blue Bonnets and indian paint brushes
Swimming in the sacred waters of Barton Springs
It's body surfing the Freo
It's Saturday night in Del Rio!
Driving across the border for some cultural exchange!
It's another burrito, with a cold Lone Star in my hand!
It's a quarter to four, the jukebox boy
Play The Son's of the Mother Lovin' Bunkhouse Band
You ask me what I like about Texas
I could tell you...but it would take all night long..
# posted by : 2:54 PM
: 2:54 PM
Driving from Corpus to Austin
Through Skidmore, Beeville, and Karnes City.
Dairy Queens, Valeros, and not much else.
Through Skidmore, Beeville, and Karnes City.
Dairy Queens, Valeros, and not much else.
I'll add Austin favorites And You Shall Know Us By The Trail of Dead, The Sword, and Averse Sefira to the list of awesome Texas bands.
And then to the list of cool Texas authors: Fritz Leiber, L. Sprague de Camp, Gene Wolfe, Michael Moorcock (since the early 90s, in Lost Pines!), Bruce Sterling, and Cordwainer Smith. Some of them weren't born here like Howard, but most of 'em got here sooner rather than later.
And then to the list of cool Texas authors: Fritz Leiber, L. Sprague de Camp, Gene Wolfe, Michael Moorcock (since the early 90s, in Lost Pines!), Bruce Sterling, and Cordwainer Smith. Some of them weren't born here like Howard, but most of 'em got here sooner rather than later.
I've never lived in Texas, only visited often (and not just Waco). Much of it is starkly barren and flat to someone from the rolling hills of Virginia, but also starkly beautiful.
I had encountered the "sense of specialness" here in D.C. often, especially from Texans on Capitol Hill. But never when I was actually in Texas! In fact, I have always felt welcomed and encouraged to feel like I could be part of the club.
The attitude exists, but its not exclusionary once you get there.
Maybe its just the Texans who leave Texas who are obnoxious about it.
I had encountered the "sense of specialness" here in D.C. often, especially from Texans on Capitol Hill. But never when I was actually in Texas! In fact, I have always felt welcomed and encouraged to feel like I could be part of the club.
The attitude exists, but its not exclusionary once you get there.
Maybe its just the Texans who leave Texas who are obnoxious about it.
Texas to me is
hot magical flat land where
Everyone has a pool.
Jealous!!!!
I would move there in two seconds. But I also love Oregon.
hot magical flat land where
Everyone has a pool.
Jealous!!!!
I would move there in two seconds. But I also love Oregon.
TEXAS
Tennessee
Virginia
South Carolina
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Utah
A non-alphabetical lists of states where I would *never* want to live, because the politicians that run them are anti-progressive (that is to say, regressive).
Tennessee
Virginia
South Carolina
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Utah
A non-alphabetical lists of states where I would *never* want to live, because the politicians that run them are anti-progressive (that is to say, regressive).
# posted by : 5:35 PM
: 5:35 PM
Anon -- don't judge Texas by the majority of the State. Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley do not share the particular prejudices of the rest of the State.
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