用新相机拍的，冬天模样的树与河流，是心里最喜欢的

Dear knapweed:

Thought you might be inspired by this
story. The author is unknown.

A Thousand Marbles

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday
mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude
that comes with being the first to rise,
or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not
having to be at work. Either way, the first
few hours of a Saturday morning are most
enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the
study with a steaming cup of coffee in one
hand and the morning paper in the other. What
began as a typical Saturday morning, turned
into one of those lessons that life seems to
hand you from time to time.

I turned the dial up into the phone portion
of the band on my ham radio in order to listen
to a Saturday morning swap net.

Along the way, I came across an older sounding
chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice.

You know the kind; he sounded like he should
be in the broadcasting business. He was telling
whomever he was talking with something about
"a thousand marbles." I was intrigued and
stopped to listen.

"Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy
with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but
it's a shame you have to be away from home and
your family so much. Hard to believe a young
fellow should have to work sixty or seventy
hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you
missed your daughter's dance recital.

"Let me tell you something Tom, something that
has helped me keep a good perspective on my
own priorities."

And that's when he began to explain his theory
of a thousand marbles.

"You see, I sat down one day and did a little
math. The average person lives about 75 years.
I know, some live more and some live less,
but on average, folks live about 75 years. Now
then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up
with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that
the average person has in their entire lifetime.

"It took me until I was 55 years old to think
about all this in any detail and by that time
I had lived through over 2800 Saturdays. I got
to thinking that if I lived to be 75, I only
had about a thousand of them left to enjoy.

"So I went to a toy store and bought every
single marble they had. I ended up having to
visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles.
I took them home and put them inside of a large,
clear plastic container.

"Every Saturday since then, I have taken one
marble out. I found that by watching the marbles
diminish, I focus more on the important things
in life.

"There is nothing like watching your time here
on this earth run out to help get your priorities
straight.

"Now let me tell you one last thing before I
sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out
for breakfast. This morning, I took the very
last marble out of the container. I figure that
if I make it until next Saturday then I have
been given a little extra time. And the one
thing we can all use is a little more time.

"It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend
more time with your family, and I hope to meet
you again here on the band. 75 year Old Man,
this is K9NZQ, clear and going, good morning!"

You could have heard a pin drop on the band
when this fellow signed off.

I had planned to work on the antenna that morning,
and then I was going to meet up with a few hams
to work on the next club newsletter. Instead,
I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss.

"C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to
breakfast."

"What brought this on?" she asked with a smile.

"Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long
time since we spent Saturday together with the
kids.

Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out?
"I need to buy some marbles."

--Author Unknown

***

今天早晨邮箱收到的Karin Peavy写来的一封信

Karin Peavy是一个基督徒，信中是一个有关时间的故事

连续做了两个梦。梦见一个残疾的小孩。他刚满周岁，纯真可爱，问我很多关于人性及心理的问题。我讲解着自己一直在思考的问题。他欢喜而需要我。

还梦见了父亲，夜色中的桥，灯光，街市，梧桐树。我骑着车疯跑，追赶他。走错一条路，来到一个灯火辉煌的宫殿，洁白的花在草丛中刚刚绽放。我站在岩石上，越向上越暗。一小群孩子背书包从我的车旁跑过。

我还梦见了姐姐，梦见了喜欢的食物。觉得饿。

两个梦是交织进行的。因为复杂而缠绵，让人既紧张又兴奋。像在海上见过的那些水母一样，蓝紫色，在水里闪闪发光，像个泡似的兴高采烈地漂着。带着一身剧毒。

有时我会揣度我做的那些梦的寓意。神秘的，单纯的，似乎具有无穷的乐趣及可能性。

那个小孩会不会是我自己呢？我看见的那扇刚刚蒙白，具有晨曦中暗蓝和寂静的天空的窗棂。为什么我会拍下那个陌生城市的工厂和烟囱，给他细细讲解人的失望呢？

朝夕的彩虹，长得很漂亮。突然发现自己很喜欢这个单词。像八年前头一次见到它时的情愫几近完满，发音让人深深振奋。

You are a drug to me
I never ever thought it otherwise
And I love the lies you've told to me
While looking me directly in my eyes

This is not ecstasy, but it's better than cocaine.
and you know that I will miss you when you"re gone
but I'm not equipped to play this game

You know your words
They don't mean anything to me
They only serve to fatten up the prey
And when it's time to take them to the slaughterhouse
you slice their throats, continue on your way

This is not jeopardy
and it's not your high school prom
and you know that I will miss you when you're gone
But I'm not equipped to be your mom

You are a drug to me
I never ever thought it otherwise
And I love the lies you've told to me
while looking me directly in my eyes

也许没办法
现在裸泳也幸福
干涸的池塘
像几年前
长颈鹿的眼睛

围着树打转
不能爬上去
小时候你在那里捉鸟
跌断两根牙

也许没办法
把你抱在怀里
哄着你跟我一起睡着
死都不是容易的事
简单简单
你身上的跳蚤
比我热闹

但我没办法

我难怪会这样
这里毫无灯光
我的手在这里舞蹈
我的信就在沸腾之际
把笔看成了刀
用它成为凶手
刽子手二月

感觉有力度的声音
眼睛看见的是星星
看不清的手在纸上
来回来去的
胸腔即将沸腾
爆炸的头
思考着路对面的树梢
这样的狂躁
令我兴奋地要破坏
去保存这一丝真切的刀割

把这一群野兽杀死
不然你会后悔
风吹草动的夜
我尽显无能
慢慢变成绿色
飘在野草上空
被野兽追逐
我眼里的鲜红
不能变成眼泪
不能变成利剑
我举起两手
对世界顶礼膜拜
起初并不知什么是字

眼看这血就要流下
心与手的血腥
看那逐渐变绿的灵魂变蓝,变紫,变红,变黑
这重复持续的力量

我的梦里总能出现 
漂亮的火车
漂亮的刀
我的红眼,绿灵魂

红绿红绿红绿红绿红绿红绿
红绿红绿红绿
当我下车,一脚走进金色的麦地
在七月的香槟

草味道不错
眼前的纱,有风

草味道不错
门开始打开
也给我带来了苦恼
我想砸烂发声机器
可是我的懦弱并不能独占我的脑
愤怒着平和
再次更难以平抚
愤怒指着全是自己

我的红眼,绿灵魂