Two Worlds on the Same Planet

First stop was
the North End Terminal
in Memphis—
hundreds of
dark skinned
men, woman, and children
waited as busses
came and went.
Occasionally someone would
see someone familiar,
and they'd catch up a bit.

He'd sell
a cigarette
for a couple of quarters
(we used to give them away—
but they were cheap then).

Their bus would come
and they'd board it,
with difficulty,
for the bus might stop anywhere
along a long driveway,
and they'd have to run
to catch it.

A big man, hunched over,
sweeping up the cigarette butts,
and straws, and wrappers
(as Sisyphus rolled the boulder
up the hill) .
He'd try hard
to keep
the waiting area
clean,
but it seemed to gather debris faster
than he could
work.

Another man, with a battery powered
wheelchair and guide dog, boarded a
bus with a ramp. Someone came up to him to
ask him about his dog.

A woman, three hundred pounds,
at least, had a neck brace.
I asked her
if she was in a car accident.
"No," she said, "I fell down the stairs."

An hour later, my bus arrived at
the airport.
I was the only light-skinned
one to board
and the sole rider
to made the entire journey.

At the airport there were almost
no dark-skinned ones,
and no man
sweeping cigarette butts.
Planes were coming and going,
with covered carpeted
conditioned walkways
leading to each plane.

Two worlds in the same day.

A very successful exec.
in pre-washed designer jeans,
spoke confidently and endlessly
to a rash of associates
on his cell.

His conversations were
broadcast to all.
He tried to get comfortable
on the airport seats,
slouched this way and that,
with one foot on the table
between
his seat and the next.

Two worlds on the same planet.

Bus to airport

It must be a miracle if I get to Texas today this way.

Recording w/Elvis

That's All Right Mama

1st Elvis Recording was here

Elvis's First Television Appearance

Listening to Elvis's first recording

w/teary eyes

King's Stool

Sun Studio

Shakin' Goin' On w/Elvis

Walker Radiator Works

Infrastructure

Walking to Sun Studios to record with the King

Hit Chikin Pitch Burgerz

Breakfast in Memphis

Continuous Elvis too on the speakers.

Pig: Pork w/an Attitude

BB King's Blues Club

Tactical Platform

Memphis Queen

Last Night's Wedding

Forces join, wondering how 

they could ever

be separate.

Families join, once not knowing 

each other, 

and now, 

not knowing how 

they could have not.

The passed elder says,

three things are important—

health, happiness, and 

long life. 

All guaranteed to be 

curtailed, someday,

but for now,

for yesterday, and today,

we have all three,

many times over.

For today, over and

over and over again.

Goodbye Elvis

Meditation Pond

Meditation Garden

Elvis gets hitched

Hall of Gold

Den

Elvis's firing range

Elvis is upstairs

Dinner w/Elvis

Graceland

I'd really get angry if that happened to me.

(L to R: Gary Libman (brother-in-law), Rev. Kyle, Gail Libman (my sister))

I heard that a lot today. Not major events, but minor things. We buy a car and we are happy when it works and swear bloody murder when it breaks. So, basically, we break when the car does. How often did I want to say, it is just an opportunity to practice? But that feels quite dispassionate, doesn't it?

I was wiped out today by the National Civil Rights Museum where MLK was shot. To make the experience really amazing we ran into Rev. Kyles who was with MLK when it happened and was able to be a witness and speak of the event. Man's inhumanity to other men is more than I can take. One of the holocausts that takes place on our soil.

I asked Rev. Kyles if we've made things better. "Yes," he said. "There is no question about it. And we have much farther to go." An opportunity for me to "practice!"

Memphis - National Civil Rights Museum

Trolley