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Dust Devil near Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Tonya Stinson (tonitunes), 8 September 2007
Untitled, Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Red Shuttleworth, 8 September 2013
Untitled, Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Red Shuttleworth, 8 September 2013
Cooler mornings, my thinning skin, freckled hands:
a Spirit Halloween store, porky clerks, has opened
next to the Moses Lake Safeway... Chinese-made zombie
costumes with a pestilential stench, fake beards for furniture
store managers locked into busted-camera marriages.
Red Shuttleworth: Summer Chronograph: 84, from Poet Red Shuttleworth, Sunday, 8 September 2013
Glad it's landing over there. This Boeing plane was making a test flight around Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Michael (tbirdshockeyfan), 24 June 2008
Street scene, Moses Lake, Washington: n.d.; image by photo by Ryan Khatam, 28 August 2012
Woody's Drive-In, Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Curtis Cronn, 1 July 2011
Barbara Ann's Burgers, Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Curtis Cronn, 17 June 2011
Denny's, Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Stones 55, 4 September 2009
Christmas lights, Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Randall Pugh, 18 December 2010
Their window to the world, Moses Lake, Washington. The dogs used to hang their heads and put their tails between their
legs. Now since we have been on the road, these guys run into their
kennel. They just absolutely LOVE it!: photo by sparkynwife, 31 July 2007
Linda piles it on at Bob's Cafe in Moses Lake: photo by PortlandPictures, 5 April 2008
Motel Oasis, Moses Lake, Washington. Motel, Hoetl or No-Tell: photo by Tory Jones (Tory RoJo), 16 February 2009
Oasis Motel, Moses Lake, Washington: postcard, photographer unknown, n.d.; caption: Enjoy the sun, relax and swim at the "Palm Springs of the Northwest," located at the west entrance to Moses Lake, Washington. Lovely air conditioned units with every facility for your comfort. Kitchenettes, television and telephones. SMITTY'S PANCAKE HOUSE ADJOINING. AAA Approved. A Friendship Inn; image by Jordan Smith (The Pie Shop Collection), 25 March 2013
Sage and Sand Motel, Moses Lake, Washington: postcard, photographer unknown, n.d.; caption: West exit thru town -- Torohill Highway 10 East exit 1/2 mile. 38 Air conditioned units and suites. TV, Phones, Kitchenettes, Moderate rates. Pool for your pleasure; image by Jordan Smith (The Pie Shop Collection), 3 June 2010
Moses Lake motel sign: photo by clark (seewhy), 3 August 2012
Super 8 Moses Lake: photo by Devin Mitchell (devinshire), 4 March 2009
Moses Lake Moose Building: photo by clark (seewhy), 3 August 2012
American Legion Post 209 (Joe R. Harper Post), Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Curtis Cronn, 1 July 2011
Woo-hoo, witchy woman... Moses Lake, Washington. Magic must be powerful this time of year. Witches have an ugly reputation. So why do so many of us guys find them attractive come October?: photo by Bob (I owe my soul...), 9 October 2007
Downtown Moses Lake park. A large mural honoring Chief Moses is in the background. The mural strikes me as an idealized version of his life and the West. Not surprising though, Moses Lake was named after the chief. The art made me think. The basalt tubes are natural
formations common to the area. They make a great addition to the park: photo by Bob (I owe my soul...), 9 October 2007
Sculpture at downtown Moses Lake park. I didn't get the author or title. It is similar to "The Flash" of comic book fame. :-): photo by Bob (I owe my soul...), 9 October 2007
Moses Lake: photo by Philip Lee (strandedmusician), 9 October 2008
Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Curtis Cronn, 1 July 2011
Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Liz (LovetoClikNature), June 2005
Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Frank A. Duck, 28 May 2011
Moses Lake, Washington: photo by flooing, 27 May 2008
Moses Lake Dunes. Guys?: photo by Mark Gregor (Gregor's Pub), 27 July 2008
Elements of Moses Lake: photo by Stones 55, 4 September 2009
Staff Sgt. Joseph Cimino, 8th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, right, looks on as a heavy airdrop platform extracts from the rear of a C-17 Globemaster III over Moses Lake, Washington. Located in the heart of the Pacific Northwest's Puget Sound region, Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) is the Defense Department's premiere military installation on the West Coast. Joint Base Lewis-McChord provides world-class installation support to the joint base warfighters, family members and the surrounding community: photo by Abner Guzman/62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs, 13 April 2010 (Joint Base Lewis-McChord Public Affairs Office)
Downy Woodpecker, North Shore Potholes Reservoir, Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Tom Talbott (tbtalbottjr), 18 May 2006
Going no where fast, Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Randall Pugh, 27 December 2010
Looking down Crab Creek, Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Randall Pugh, 27 December 2010
Going no where fast, Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Randall Pugh, 27 December 2010
Looking down Crab Creek, Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Randall Pugh, 27 December 2010
Dust Devil near Moses Lake, Washington: photo by Tonya Stinson (tonitunes), 8 September 2007
11 comments:
Moses Lake Washington is
(a) A Museum?
(b) A Time Warp Bubble?
(c) The real deal?
Have been "'being unable to say aught that is charitable or useful, . . . [therefore had to] preserve silence.'"
Appreciating the continuing posts and discussions, especially learning about Edward Bernays.
Thanks Tom and all,
Harris
Here's a poem whose last line echoes your post, from great Mexican poet, Marco Antonio Montes de Oca whom I first met in Mexico in 1962, a true master. I'm in the midst of translating his last book of poems before his death in 2009 (and am open to any suggestions for improvement from the Spanish)...
UNA PALOMA blanca
Abre las alas
Y me corta la cara
Cuando un reflejo
De sangre me ahoga,
Cuando nado hacia el sueño,
Cuando los vestidos vuelan
Para perseguir la fuga del estío.
________________________
A WHITE DOVE
Opens its wings
And cuts my face
When a reflex
Of blood drowns me,
When I swim towards sleep,
When my clothes fly off
In pursuit of summer’s escape
Thank you lovely poets both for coming to Red's little end-of-summer-almost houseparty.
Harris, what is it they used to say is stranger than fiction?
(Any relation to real persons living or dead of course strictly putative.)
Daniel, beautiful poem indeed. It is fortunate that our expert Spanish translator is in the house -- Harris, "El Tico Grande". Let us see what he has to say.
As it happens, there are a few intriguing video clips featuring the poems of Montes de Oca -- but not that one.
Moses Lake, "Desert Oasis and Home to the Great Blue Heron" as a Welcome Billboard has it... and there's a Downy Woodpecker, as we've seen...but whether or not there are any White Dove overflights, we'll have to leave it to the poet to tell us.
Meanwhile, though, Cucurrucucu...
(Some will recall the no less sublime version of this classic from Habla con ella.)
A busted-camera marriage. Great line. I’ve never been to Moses Lake, but from the look of things in those photos, I’ve been to Moses Lake. The longest main drag in the world must run through every town in the US. I think I even stayed at that Suppurate Motel.
Red's breath of fresh air and yours blew through me first thing this morning and have buoyed me all day, which has been one of diminishing enlightenment. I'm turning away now from my home office (my only office) instruments of brutality for a while and the words and images will be occupying me during the next hour's drive. Had no idea what a Dust-Devil was but I am glad that I do now. Curtis
Daniel, translating poetry is almost impossible as one of my poet friends was just telling me, so, the possibilities are vast
a few minor changes would result in the following
A WHITE DOVE
Spreads her wings
And cuts my face
When a reflection of
Blood drowns [chokes] me,
When I swim towards the dream,
When dresses [clothes] fly [off]
To pursue the escape of summer.
[pursuing the flight of summer.]
take your pick of any if you like
I especially think La Paloma is "her" in this case though it is a feminine noun therefore ambiguous
best,
Harris
I think I've stayed there too. There were ants in the drawers. I complained and got another room. That one had ants in the shower.
"Dust devils are relatively common in the area," Red writes. "Any field that gets disc-ed and is dryland farm ground is subject to a blow/winds. (The Comanche, not a local tribe at all, believed that dust devils were ghosts.)"
Dust Devil Days
Chinese-made zombie/ costumes with a pestilential stench
Every Halloween, when we have our do at the Centre, the hall fills with that very stench. Damn good job there's no smoking on site.
I can't help but feel for the store managers in their fake beards.
I've thanked Harris via email, but am extremely appreciative of his suggestions... and on YouTube of his poems as well (folks, check 'em out if you don't know them). Thanks so much Tom for introducing us. I'm hoping to rope him in a little to collaborate on these translations... in spite of his caveat. (Tom, no video poems on YouTube?)
Thanks Daniel. No, Youtube hasn't discovered me yet.
About that pestilential stench, WB, it's got to be the plastics reacting with the body emissions.
But it's a small price to pay...
All across this fair land of ours, this time of year, the run-up to the least appealing of the national holidays is picking up steam in temporarily leased vacant retail spaces from which the ghosts have been briefly chased off by the furious marketing of ghost and ghoul and zombie gear.
We have one right here in our city, downtown, in a storefront space that has been empty since the latest redundant Walgreen's slunk away last year.
And this is the presence of the Spirit Halloween Superstore.
Unless you've been off somewhere weird, like Mars or the civilized areas of Earth, you'll have seen one of these emporia.
The history is one of those noble and inspiring sagas of American cheapjack-junk-vending enterprise and cash-register know-how.
"Spencer Gifts, LLC., commonly referred to as Spencer's, is a North American mall retailer. Spencer Gifts has stores in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
"The retailer offers rock and roll clothing, custom t-shirts, band merchandise, Playboy decor and apparel, sex toys, traditional and newer gag gifts, room decor, collectable figures, fantasy and horror items. It also offers a large selection of fashion and body jewelry. Spencer Gifts is one of the largest mall-based specialty gift store chains in North America with over 600 stores nationwide coupled with an online presence which includes a unique Design A Tee studio at SpencersOnline. The company also operates temporary Halloween stores under the moniker Spirit Halloween Superstore. Steven Silverstein, Spencer Gifts Chief Executive Officer and Spirit Halloween CEO and President, reports that in 2009 the Spirit of Children program, a charitable mission incorporating customer, vendor and partner donations, raised one million dollars to bring holiday celebrations to hospitalized children.
"Originally founded as a mail-order catalog in 1947, Spencer’s sold an assortment of novelty merchandise. In 1963, Spencer's opened its first retail store in the Cherry Hill Mall in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where it continues to have a retail presence.
"Shortly after launching its retail division, Spencer's was acquired by MCA, an entertainment conglomerate. In 1995, MCA was acquired by Seagram Company Ltd. and operated under the name Universal Studios. While a Universal Studios company, Spencer’s expanded its store base into Canada and the United Kingdom and acquired a Halloween seasonal retailer, Spirit Halloween. Under the name Spirit Halloween, Spencer's sponsor a holiday discussion website, Halloween Forum.
"In 2001, Vivendi, a diversified international entertainment company acquired Universal Studios and re-branded the entire organization as Vivendi Universal Entertainment LLLP. Less than two years later, in 2003, GB Palladin, a joint venture between Gordon Brothers Group, LLC and Palladin Capital Group, Inc. acquired Spencer Gifts LLC. Steven Silverstein is Spencer Gifts Chief Executive Officer and also serves as Chief Executive Officer and President of Spirit Halloween..."
...and so on, blah blah corporate takeover big fish eat little fish so what else is new & c & c until...
"ACON Investments acquired the company in 2007."
Developing goosebumps all over, yet?
I'm inclined to be a little more charitable to Spirit Halloween's annual pop-up business, even though it's extremely tacky (we have two in our general vicinity), than others might be, especially in this long-term, continually rotten, unemployment-ridden economy. I see their want ads seeking seasonal help applications, and then the temporary-like-Achilles sort-of-employees and am glad that someone's getting sort kind of break. The Spencer Gifts corporate history fascinated me.
We're an MCA "alumni family" and I certainly remember the division as part of the company's annual reports. It's a pity that the precis leaves out the Lew Wasserman-Sid Sheinberg management years, which lasted a long time and ended in tears for everyone except Lew, Sid and their close cronies, when they sold the company to Matsushita, who supposedly had a 500-year corporate plan. The Matsushita two-or-so years stewardship (funny that no mention was ever made of the 500-year plan again when they sold) ended with the Seagram sale, which was a very, very happy event for members of the MCA family. The Seagram people brought a genuine sense of warmth, generosity and positive spirit to the company, which you could feel in the hallways, on the phone, etc. Vivendi was another thing altogether, a literal French Connection corporate nightmare. I can't believe it will be Halloween soon. I asked Jane this morning "what she wanted to be." You see, I'll do almost anything to avoid the Spirit Halloween store. This post continues to amaze and involve me, through my thinning skin and freckled hands. The sight of that airplane taking off gives me the chills this morning. Curtis
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