Themes
Unheard Music
Don’t you hear it? she asked & I shook my head no & then she started to dance & suddenly there was music everywhere & it went on for a very long time & when I finally found words all I could say was thank you.
Useful Stuff
I see stuff like this a lot in my dreams, so I decided it should at least be doing something useful while I figure out what it means.
Unconditional Love
I try to use unconditional love in small amounts, she said, so people really appreciate it. The rest of the time I just try not to yell.
Ulterior Motive
What would it take to fly? he said & I said I wasn’t sure, but I knew he’d have to move faster than he did now & he thought about that for a minute & then he looked at me & said you’re trying to teach me something, aren’t you?
Ultimatum
Don’t you dare be rational at a time like this, she told me, or I’ll be forced to admit I wasted all these years with you.
Uncle August
When my great-uncle August was in his twenties, he left Iowa & went to study cake decorating at the National Baking Institute in Chicago. He learned everything from spun sugar decorations to ice sculpture. He went to school for 2 years & when he finished, he went back to Iowa & worked in the family bakery. Except for the odd wedding cake, he never used the fancy stuff he learned. He was in charge of yeast breads & cinnamon rolls. Just after the end of WW II, the Valley Dairy Farmer’s Association had the first of the now famous Milk & Honey Festivals. August made a model of the Statue of Liberty out of 250 pounds of white cheddar cheese, surrounded by American Beauty roses of spun sugar, especially for the occasion. He showed me the page from Life magazine he kept folded up in his wallet, one summer when we visited. On it was a picture of a much younger man, smiling next to a 4 foot tall Liberty. He told me he had 6 proposals of marriage from that photo, one from the East Coast even & he smiled & I saw him grow 30 years younger & I knew in our hearts we never get old.
Trusting the Universe
It’s much easier to trust the universe when it’s going well, she said.
Twilight Zone
This keeps time in 3 different time zones, but none of them are the one he’s usually in.
Twin Sister
When I was young I told everyone I had a twin sister. One day, after we had been to see the relatives, my mother told me I was too old to play that game any more. So I stopped talking about her & after awhile, she finally went away. But I’m grown up now & I still miss her & I wish she would come back.
Two Wise Men
My great-aunt Clara told us once about the time she was one of the wise men in the church play & when it came to her part she said we’re here bearing frankincense, gold & myrrh, heavy on the frankincense because of that camel smell & after that her father always called it the story of the Two Wise Men & that other guy & we laughed so hard we had to pee.
Treasures
The most important thing you leave behind is the stuff that turns into treasures when children find it.
Tree on Fire
This is a tree on fire with love, but it’s still scary since most people think love only looks like one thing instead of the whole world.
Trojan Horse
this was supposed to be just like the Trojan Horse except all they had was enough wood for the legs & an old wool blanket & the funny thing is it still worked because everyone came out & pointed at it & laughed themselves sick
True American
The next time the demons come, he said, just wave your penis at them. I can’t do that, I said. Why not? he said. Well, I said finally, because I’m American.
True Map
There is no one who comes here that does not know this is a true map of the world, with you there in the center, making home for us all.
True Things
They came to sit & dangle their feet off the edge of the world & after awhile they forgot everything but the good & true things they would do someday.
Travel Basics
I used to think traveling to exotic places would be fun, but I have a little more experience now & it’s only fun if it doesn’t wreck your sleep.
Too Much Stuff
I try not to collect too much because having stuff takes more time than you think. But then again sometimes it’s good to stay busy.
Toothpick Fence
He built fences of whole boxes of toothpicks because he didn’t have enough money for redwood. I know it’s small, he said, but I don’t want everybody just thinking they can walk right in & some day, it’ll be bigger. Fences take practice for everyone.
Too Easy
ready to ride as soon as they decide whether they want to go in the direction they’re all facing or whether that’d be too easy