The wind is southeast and blowing, so we move
wing and wing like a magnificent frigate
gliding down the San Jose Channel
in flat water with the genoa poled out we are flying along
we set a course based on how the wind is blowing at this moment
but it always bends, arcing our track to port or starboard
eventually the beautifully curved sails will need to be reset
a trawler rumbles-chugs by reminding us that the wind keeps things interesting
relieves us of the manmade world of straight lines
which probably never existed anyway
the hologram of our viral imagination
a symptom of square houses
back again in the world of timelessness
more than an ocean planet,
this must be an ocean universe
everything curves and waves
from swirls of galaxies to eddies in a mountain brook
if we trusted our instincts, we’d know
that time moves the same way
despite the misconceptions of geometry and right angles
which pattern the web or synapses of our curved and folded brains
not a straight line to be found
passion prefers curves after all
-MS
The wind has become more important than ever
though the forecasts are often wrong
we lean on every scratchy word, warbling through the single side band
you come to expect that if the weatherman says its clear
he’s at least looked outside
seen the fog, or marine layer or whatever it is, with his own eyes
the weather forecasts we get in Baja come in two forms
automated, computer model generated, with caveats
has not been vetted by human eyes
or voluntary, a guy named Geary who lives in Bahia Concepcion
who has an interest in the weather,
won’t forecast more than three days out
no matter how many people ask
cuz he knows better
he’s fascinated by criminals who do stupid things
you should be able to get his weather online
(thank you Geary for the weather)
but if they’d had websites in the 70’s
they’d have looked like the sonrisa.net, just probably worked better
-MS
Under the category underestimating people
the boat that sailed in last night
Apolima, Gary and Phyllis
An older couple, she’s a proud great-grandma
you might see them among the motorhomes at the rest stop at 19th in Bozeman
happy to be near Costco and not that far from Walmart
and you might think you know the whole story
her body type fits the casting stereotype
he’s more of the “can eat no fat” line
their boat is the same length as Allora
but nearly twice the weight at 58,000 pounds
we’ve met others in the Sea, who make cruising here a lifetime thing
who keep a motorhome in Guaymas
who have planned for years to sail to the Pacific
but haven’t made it, and now bad knees and shoulders that need surgery
make it an unlikelihood
but Gary and Phyllis did sail to the South Pacific,
spent three days in hurricane force winds off New Zealand
with four children on board
I promise you would never ever guess
-MS
Single Side Band Radio
is not compatible with the purring, buzzing, crazy electric hum of modern cities
a bunch of old guys talking about the weather
twenty years ago, thirty
it might have been revolutionary, subversive, banned in Thailand
based on the demographics it will be gone in less than ten years
the last “Delta Whiskey Tango” will whisk away across the galaxy
puzzling some old extraterrestrial geezer on some planet in a binary solar system
thirty thousand light years from now
we’re lucky to have used it when it was still useful
in less than five years, it’ll just be an old piece of equipment
remnant emails made with call signs
WDI2867@whut?.com
Diana needs to hurry up and get her Ham license
-MS
Stars,
it easier to imagine finding your way around the world by the stars
than I would ever have guessed
Once that dome becomes familiar, Scorpio and Antares in the south sky
Arcturus directly over head,
it would be like walking in the mountains
keep the peaks where they belong and how can you go wrong
latitude would be a cinch
longitude would want a clock
the Milkyway rolls across the sky, like the wake of a cosmic clipper
-MS