Thursday, December 24, 2009  Molt. Rest. Molt.  Here's a poem
from Amy Gerstler's terrific new book DEAREST CREATURE, a total
pleasure for Christmas Eve. Not exactly in the holiday spirit,
but, like this whole book, adventurous, funny, and completely
unexpected. The long poem called "Mrs. Monster Pens Her Memoirs"
is brilliant.   Chew your way into a new world. Munch leaves.
Molt. Rest. Molt again. Self-reinvention is everything. Spin
many nests. Cultivate stinging bristles. Don't get sentimental
about your discarded skins. Grow quickly. Develop a yen for
nettles. Alternate crumpling and climbing. Rely on your
antennae. Sequester poisons in your body for use at a later
date. When threatened, emit foul odors in self-defense. Behave
cryptically to confuse predators: change colors, spit, or feign
death. If all else fails, taste terrible.  Sunday, December 20,
2009  Sleeping underwater with the maple leaves  See Paul's blog
for photos of the fantastic snow here in the Springs today. It
started yesterday, later th