he paid more attention to girls and women than to men  but he would naturally   men didnt interest him  

women  when he asked  he appreciated that the asking in itself was a predicate a leverage or suggestion  they admitted that they paid more attention to boys and men  however not to the exclusion of women

                                                                                                      as he excluded men

they noticed other women

he recorded talleymarks on the concave walls of his skull  crossed the four hashmarks with a diagonal line to make them five in the appropriate columns he fashioned to differentiate the sexes

his data was prejudicedleaned-heavily with results from women  as would be expected

men didnt interest him

as he walked up on the bridge he was anxious to cross it for on the far sidesince the winter rains had filled the creek beneath it  he noticed a turtle sunning itself on a broken concrete abutment which was probably once a footing of the bridge that preceded this artful arched steel one

in his hurry he was oblivious of the teenager who approached the bridge from the opposite side  and it wasnt until he stepped sharply to the railing that he realised he cut her off  made an impediment of himself 

Im sorry please excuse me  distracted he mumbled an apology he was already at the railing looking down over its edge to see if he could see the turtle  randomly crossing the bridge he walked everywhere he could he often saw the turtle

his distraction attracted her

she stopped at the railing beside him  Whatcha looking for?

A turtle

I don’t think there are any turtles in the creek.

No  Theres oneIve seen him several times  so whenever I cross the bridge I cross it on this side to see if I can see him or her again

he looked up  brieflylooked her in the face

she raised her head and looked at him

Hello he said

Hello she replied

A turtle?

Yes   There he pointed there  near the bank  on the broken slab of concrete just beyond the water

Oh goodness.  I see.

I didn’t think anything lived in the creek.

Its a nice affirmation isnt it

Hello  he called down into the creek bed at the turtle 

he turned to her again  I always say hello

she didnt skip a beat  Hello, turtle!

Have you named him or her?

No  Naming to me is a kind of possession  We cant possess a wild thing can we

she smiled  No. You’re right. We can’t possess, or should want to possess, a wild thing.

Agreed  We need more wild things in the world

That’s a funny thing to say, don’t you think?

No  Wild things are dying offbecoming extinct at an unrelenting pace  Just walking into town Im now returning home walking into town I found the remains of three squirrels that had been run over  

Terribly  I might add  Im not at all confident that the drivers who speed on that side street were troubled that they ran them down

Its only a squirrel

Which you don’t believe; it’s only a squirrel.

No I dont  It has every right to life as the clown who ran them over  

It hurts the heart

Yes.

Yes

the teenager was Hispanic Mexican light possibly mixed startling green eyes compacted curved long thick jetblack hair  wide-eyed

It was nice talking to you, seeing the turtle, that was really nice.

Nice talking to you

Goodbye.

Goodbye

he stayed a couple minutes longer watching the turtle sun itself

it never moved

stillness is a kind of camouflage

hidden in full sight

Awright pal  Hope to see you again 

walking away from the bridge he made another talleymark on his skull the teenager was yet another female he noticed and he noticed what he liked best about her was who was raising herwho taught her her confidence her head up not averting her eyes not fearful  to be inquisitive  who taught her her judgment of character her discernment  to meet a stranger on a bridge and look and see a turtle

hed bet the next time she crossed the bridge shed look for the turtlethe next time she walked along a road shed look for a hapless crushed squirrel

Yah  he said out loud  Im not a betting man but Id bet she will

 

1602,  Friday,  3  5. 19

1048,  Saturday,  4  5. 19

Barr Brothers  Beggar in the Morning  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JU4T9iqNTo