asakiyume: (feathers on the line)
asakiyume ([personal profile] asakiyume) wrote2010-08-07 03:30 pm

(no subject)

birds beneath a battling sky

The birds sit on the wire, shoulders hunched, while overhead the clouds and sun fight for mastery of the sky. It's like they're the battle's foot soldiers (wing soldiers?), too battle-worn (except for that one on the left) to take to the air.

Below, there is a bright and narrow road. You walk balancing on it, poised four inches above the earth, almost touching it. Almost. Like a ghost, not quite through the veil into the living world.

the straight and narrow


The warring sun and clouds and the narrow path remind me of another thing we saw lots of in Alabama: painted yard signs featuring Bible passages. Not the words of the passage, mind; just its chapter and verse. One little house had two small wooden signs on its lawn.

PSALMS 23, said one. JOHN 3:16, said the other.

The first is the famous The-Lord-Is-Our-Shepherd psalm, and the second is the often-quoted "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Elsewhere, we saw "2 CHRONICLES 7:14" ("If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.")

More ominously, in an abandoned-seeming park, there were three crosses standing, and on the chain link fence around the park, signs saying THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH and REPENT.

Sometimes people used their own words rather than Bible passages. One house had a sign that said, "When God moves out, disaster moves in."

Churches issued directives and warnings:

"Prepare to meet your God"

"There will be no fire escape in Hell."

Like the sky this morning, all those signs and messages were very atmospheric. I felt like we wandering all unaware through a supernatural battlefield.



Alabama song

[identity profile] anushsh.livejournal.com 2010-08-07 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Big wheels keep on turning
Carry me home to see my kin
Singing songs about the Southland
I miss Alabamy once again
And I think its a sin, yes

Well I heard mister Young sing about her
Well, I heard ole Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Southern man don't need him around anyhow

Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you

In Birmingham they love the governor
Now we all did what we could do
Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you?
Tell the truth

Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you
Here I come Alabama

Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers
And they've been known to pick a song or two
Lord they get me off so much
They pick me up when I'm feeling blue
Now how about you?

Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you

Sweet home Alabama
Oh sweet home baby
Where the skies are so blue
And the governor's true
Sweet Home Alabama
Lordy
Lord, I'm coming home to you
Yea, yea Montgomery's got the answer

I love this song and listen to it very often. The railway track and the greenery on either side is sooooo Indian ;-)

Re: Alabama song

[identity profile] asakiyume.livejournal.com 2010-08-08 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
The license plates in Alabama have the words "Sweet Home Alabama" written on them :-)

And the photo of the railroad track is right near my house! So now, when I walk balanced on the rail and look down, I'll think of India.