Last week I promised someone that I'd blog about an interesting occurrence which I witnessed. This is not that blog. Sorry.
This morning was overcast and grey, but without rain. I walked downtown as usual. I took the longer, but more interesting route through Cal Anderson Park, stopping briefly at the Die Bumble Shrine (a story in itself, but maybe for another day).
After seeing my charges safely to school I stopped for a cup of coffee and had an unpleasant exchange with one of the women at the counter. Not in the best mood to begin with, this short but bitter conversation turned me even more sour.
I walked slowly up to 3rd Ave, sipping my coffee. I wondered how long I'd have to wait for the bus. I passed my usual stop. And the next. I walked to the next stop. I stood on the corner and looked at the bus schedule without seeing it. I had no plans for today. Nothing to do. I turned away and walked west.
Soon enough I came to the public market and wandered around inside for a while watching vendors opening their stalls and preparing for the day. The floor was wet and slippery by the fish markets. I stepped on a clam or oyster shell that had fallen on the floor and escaped the notice of the workers. It crunched under my shoe.
After walking the length of the market, I stopped and enjoyed the view from the small park that overlooks the Sound. I could smell the salt in the air. I glanced around at the other people in the park. Some homeless men down at the other end. A man openly smoking crack at a table near me. He gave me a dirty look. I moved on.
I passed the tattoo shop and found the Hill Climb. Down the stairs and across the street at the bottom is the Seattle Aquarium. I walked north to Pier 62. There was one other man there.
I walked along the railing on the pier, stopping every few feet to look into the water. The smell of salt water and rotting seaweed was heavy in the air. I love that smell.
After a while I noticed what looked to be a discarded condom in the water. Then it turned in the current and I saw it was a jellyfish, creamy and translucent. I could see inside it. It's brain or stomach or whatever organ it was hung suspended in its center, brown and looking like some sort of fungus. A few feet away I spotted another. Then another. Once I knew what to look for I could see they were everywhere.
The farther I walked down the pier, the farther I was from shore, the less and less jellyfish I saw. By the time I reached the end there were no more. I looked at the graffiti on the railing. Somebody loved someone else forever. Someone was travelling and used a marker to record the date she passed through Seattle. I stepped on something. Littering the boards under my feet were caps from syringes.
I walked back to the sidewalk and stood looking over the railing at the crud encrusted rocks below. A dead crab was caught in the tide, being dragged to and fro, and was dashed upon the rocks as each wave came in, then hammered against them again as the waves rolled out.
I walked back to 3rd Ave and waited for the bus. I took a #2 home and slept most of the way.
This morning was overcast and grey, but without rain. I walked downtown as usual. I took the longer, but more interesting route through Cal Anderson Park, stopping briefly at the Die Bumble Shrine (a story in itself, but maybe for another day).
After seeing my charges safely to school I stopped for a cup of coffee and had an unpleasant exchange with one of the women at the counter. Not in the best mood to begin with, this short but bitter conversation turned me even more sour.
I walked slowly up to 3rd Ave, sipping my coffee. I wondered how long I'd have to wait for the bus. I passed my usual stop. And the next. I walked to the next stop. I stood on the corner and looked at the bus schedule without seeing it. I had no plans for today. Nothing to do. I turned away and walked west.
Soon enough I came to the public market and wandered around inside for a while watching vendors opening their stalls and preparing for the day. The floor was wet and slippery by the fish markets. I stepped on a clam or oyster shell that had fallen on the floor and escaped the notice of the workers. It crunched under my shoe.
After walking the length of the market, I stopped and enjoyed the view from the small park that overlooks the Sound. I could smell the salt in the air. I glanced around at the other people in the park. Some homeless men down at the other end. A man openly smoking crack at a table near me. He gave me a dirty look. I moved on.
I passed the tattoo shop and found the Hill Climb. Down the stairs and across the street at the bottom is the Seattle Aquarium. I walked north to Pier 62. There was one other man there.
I walked along the railing on the pier, stopping every few feet to look into the water. The smell of salt water and rotting seaweed was heavy in the air. I love that smell.
After a while I noticed what looked to be a discarded condom in the water. Then it turned in the current and I saw it was a jellyfish, creamy and translucent. I could see inside it. It's brain or stomach or whatever organ it was hung suspended in its center, brown and looking like some sort of fungus. A few feet away I spotted another. Then another. Once I knew what to look for I could see they were everywhere.
The farther I walked down the pier, the farther I was from shore, the less and less jellyfish I saw. By the time I reached the end there were no more. I looked at the graffiti on the railing. Somebody loved someone else forever. Someone was travelling and used a marker to record the date she passed through Seattle. I stepped on something. Littering the boards under my feet were caps from syringes.
I walked back to the sidewalk and stood looking over the railing at the crud encrusted rocks below. A dead crab was caught in the tide, being dragged to and fro, and was dashed upon the rocks as each wave came in, then hammered against them again as the waves rolled out.
I walked back to 3rd Ave and waited for the bus. I took a #2 home and slept most of the way.
1 Comments:
My head exploded upon reading that first paragraph. Luckily my eyeballs remained attached and I was able to prop them up to finish reading your post.
I liked it a lot! It was like chunky peanut butter-- gritty and sweet and strangely comforting in a sad kind of way. Kudos!
Excuse my while I superglue my head back together. :)
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