Saturday night, a night that came early and stayed late, I
attended a solstice potluck party. This
particular party has been an on-going event since before I arrived in Fairbanks
almost 30 years ago. When I attended
that first time in 1986, the host was English teacher and literary salon keeper
Madge Clark. Now the hosts are her adult
daughter Putt and son Tom, their spouses, three boys, and two extra large dogs,
two medium sized dogs, two confident cats and one slender elegant snake. Now, as it was then, the Christmas tree was
decorated with real burning candles. Add
to those candles, a variety of Christmas lights, more candles, and eventually a
roaring bonfire just outside.
attended a solstice potluck party. This
particular party has been an on-going event since before I arrived in Fairbanks
almost 30 years ago. When I attended
that first time in 1986, the host was English teacher and literary salon keeper
Madge Clark. Now the hosts are her adult
daughter Putt and son Tom, their spouses, three boys, and two extra large dogs,
two medium sized dogs, two confident cats and one slender elegant snake. Now, as it was then, the Christmas tree was
decorated with real burning candles. Add
to those candles, a variety of Christmas lights, more candles, and eventually a
roaring bonfire just outside.
That night the world was wobbling close to its moment when
the north pole would begin to tip toward the sun, first by a few seconds a day
or two, then a few minutes, then by the six-plus minute daily leaps toward
those nightless days of mid-summer.
the north pole would begin to tip toward the sun, first by a few seconds a day
or two, then a few minutes, then by the six-plus minute daily leaps toward
those nightless days of mid-summer.
Surely there are no people living near the poles who don’t
anticipate and celebrate the returning of the light. We are animals who crave the light.
anticipate and celebrate the returning of the light. We are animals who crave the light.
I’m thinking about Dylan Thomas’s plea to his father to
resist going “gently into that good night,” of that inevitable connection
between darkness and death. Which is not
to say that I’m feeling poorly these days.
I feel pretty healthy just now; it’s our larger culture that seems to
want to usher me down the exit ramp.
resist going “gently into that good night,” of that inevitable connection
between darkness and death. Which is not
to say that I’m feeling poorly these days.
I feel pretty healthy just now; it’s our larger culture that seems to
want to usher me down the exit ramp.
Item from the Ellsworth (Maine) American: “Gouldsboro police helped Winter Harbor police Sept. 20 in an
accident involving an elderly man. Police
said the man lost control of his bicycle and went off the road. He was
transported to Maine Coast Memorial Hospital.”
accident involving an elderly man. Police
said the man lost control of his bicycle and went off the road. He was
transported to Maine Coast Memorial Hospital.”
That
elderly man? I’m he. Yes, I was a bit befuddled from the knock on
the head I suffered. But anybody would
have been. What’s annoying is the
implicit notion that somehow I should not have been where I was, doing what I
was doing. I’d say I was simply living
my life. I don’t know how else to live,
and I’m not sure I or anybody else needs to live any other way than his own. We’re here to do what we can, what we love
for as long as we’re able.
elderly man? I’m he. Yes, I was a bit befuddled from the knock on
the head I suffered. But anybody would
have been. What’s annoying is the
implicit notion that somehow I should not have been where I was, doing what I
was doing. I’d say I was simply living
my life. I don’t know how else to live,
and I’m not sure I or anybody else needs to live any other way than his own. We’re here to do what we can, what we love
for as long as we’re able.
On that
pre-solstice night, the kids ran and jumped off the stairs, played in the
fire. A ukulele quintet serenaded
us. People who’d not seen each other
since maybe at the same party the year before sat and talked about the things
we cared about. The table was crowded
with delicious food and just as quickly emptied down to the platters it came
on. Meanwhile, the dogs policed the floor,
vacuuming up the bits that fell from people’s plates. The snake charmed, and the cats suffered
themselves to be picked up and made over by strangers. When it was time to go, we found our coats in
the mound piled in the arctic entry, found one shoe then its proper mate among
the multitude on the floor.
pre-solstice night, the kids ran and jumped off the stairs, played in the
fire. A ukulele quintet serenaded
us. People who’d not seen each other
since maybe at the same party the year before sat and talked about the things
we cared about. The table was crowded
with delicious food and just as quickly emptied down to the platters it came
on. Meanwhile, the dogs policed the floor,
vacuuming up the bits that fell from people’s plates. The snake charmed, and the cats suffered
themselves to be picked up and made over by strangers. When it was time to go, we found our coats in
the mound piled in the arctic entry, found one shoe then its proper mate among
the multitude on the floor.
The
next day, sunny and sharp, I joined my fellow SCUM for a short ski. Before we adjourned to the SCUM clubhouse for
doughnuts and coffee, we launched three sky lanterns. Once we warmed the air inside their paper
sacks with a benzene torch, they lifted off, flew straight up. But high above us, they caught a light
current and headed off to the east. When
last seen, they passed beyond the tops of the distant birch trees.
next day, sunny and sharp, I joined my fellow SCUM for a short ski. Before we adjourned to the SCUM clubhouse for
doughnuts and coffee, we launched three sky lanterns. Once we warmed the air inside their paper
sacks with a benzene torch, they lifted off, flew straight up. But high above us, they caught a light
current and headed off to the east. When
last seen, they passed beyond the tops of the distant birch trees.
Here
were small episodes of joy, honestly come by.
Tomorrow, the day you read this fellow writer, the Fairbanks day will be
four seconds longer. In all our rushing
around, we may fail to notice that little bit of new light. But it’ll be there.
were small episodes of joy, honestly come by.
Tomorrow, the day you read this fellow writer, the Fairbanks day will be
four seconds longer. In all our rushing
around, we may fail to notice that little bit of new light. But it’ll be there.
Still,
I find it difficult not to think on those I know and love who’ve been hit hard
by events in their lives that make it hard to live as they might wish, or even
to continue to live. Yet even at the
worst times, we live, live as we’re able, live as only we can.
I find it difficult not to think on those I know and love who’ve been hit hard
by events in their lives that make it hard to live as they might wish, or even
to continue to live. Yet even at the
worst times, we live, live as we’re able, live as only we can.
“More
light”: those were said to be Goethe’s last words. They needn’t be a valediction, though. Instead, let’s think of them as a wish for
everything that can
happen in the coming light.
light”: those were said to be Goethe’s last words. They needn’t be a valediction, though. Instead, let’s think of them as a wish for
everything that can
happen in the coming light.
Frank Soos has lived in Fairbanks for almost 30 years, for the past eleven with wife Margo Klass. His next book of essays, Unpleasantries, will be published by the University of Washington Press in the spring of 2016. He is the current Alaska State Writer.