The North Coast times-eagle. (Wheeler, Oregon) 1971-2007, August 01, 1985, Image 9

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The North Coast times-eagle., August 01, 1985, Page 9, Image 9

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Newspaper Page Text#■ Page 9 985 ON THE O R IG IN OF SEA CHANTEYS A ll d a y h i s f i n g e r s m o v e d a r o u n d h i s n e t s , m e n d i n g h o l e s w ith l i n e h e l d b y a b o y . H is b o d y r o c k e d to th e f e e l o f t h e s e a t h i c k w ith f i s h . T h e r i v e r s a n g h is t u n e . A s k h is d o g , h i s w i s e e a r t w i s t e d t o w a r d w a t e r . O ld m a n , I 'm s t a n d i n g a t y o u r b a c k , a n d a t m y b a c k th e w o r ld is h u n c h e d . It c o m e s d o w n t h r e e r a n g e s i n l a n d , t h e n l e v e l s o ff to s a n d . Y ou t u r n e d j u s t o n c e t o lo o k a t m e , ju s t once. STA N LEY RA DH UBER A U T O B IO G R A PH Y OF A DOGM AN I a m th e w h i s p e r o f a b i t c h , I am a dogm an, I 'v e s e e n th e p a s t u r e f r o m t h e d i tc h A n d t h e s u n of a d o g d a y . I 'm th e b o r n b r e a t h o f a d o g — B u r r s in m y l u n g s , T h i s t l e s in m y y o u th , F i e l d s in m y h a p p i n e s s . I w e n t to s c h o o l, W a s in t h e d o g h o u s e . In s h o r t , I w a s t r e a t e d l i k e a d o g B e c a u s e I lie d lik e o n e . I had a r a t frie n d , W ho w r o t e r a t p o e t r y . He c a lle d m e m o o n d o g g y . I d id i t d o g g y - s t y l e W hen I w as th ir te e n , W h e n I th o u g h t I w a s H u c k F i n n , B u t I a te p o ta to s a la d a n d d a n d e lio n s W ith s o m e c o m m u n i s t s , A n d I a t e a n d d i d n 't r e a d L o r n a D o o n e . I h a v e p l u m e s p r o m i s i n g m e a d o g 's l i f e . I s m e l l lik e a d o g in th e r a i n . I w a s c a lle d a d i r t y dog by a B e n e d ic tin e . O I a m th e h u s h n e s s o f a b i t c h , I am a dogm an. I 'v e b e e n c h a i n e d to th e c l o t h e s lin e in f r o n t o f a l l th e n e i g h b o r s . I w a s b o r n in th e g r e e n e s s o f a f a m i l y — M o n g re ls by s t a t u r e . I 'v e s e e n th e g r a s s e s g r o w , H e a r d th e f l o w e r s b l o o m . I 'v e h e a r d th e b e l l s t o l l b e t w e e n H a il M a r y s . S le p t in s id e a b o x of b o o k s W h e n I th o u g h t b o o k s w e r e b o n e s . J e s u s w as once m y h e rd s m a n U n t i l he m a d e m e d i s m i s s h i s s h e e p . I w a s h o u s e b r o k e n o n R o b e r t L o u is S t e v e n s o n , W e an e d on S h e lle y . I 'v e w a l k e d up a n d d o w n th e f e n c e p o s t B e d r a b b le d by h u n g e r. I b it a v a c u u m s a le s m a n f r o m K irb y C h ic a g o . I h a d p l a n s f o r j o i n i n g th e f u t u r e B ut m y n a v e l fe ll th ro u g h . I a m th e lo n g t i m e m a d n e s s o f a d o g m a n , M ean an d w o n d e rin g . I n e v e r r u n w ith o t h e r d o g s , B ut I fo u g h t one f ro m E n t e r p r i s e . I a m a d o g m a n f ly i n g f r o m t h e c r a n e s . I u s e d to r u n w ith a l a u g h i n g la d y B e f o re h e r te e th f e ll o u t. N ow sh e ju s t g u m s m e . I 'v e w r i t t e n d o g g e r e l v e r s e , A n d I a m in lo v e w ith a p ia n o p l a y e r H e r k is s e s a r e e u p h o ria . I 'v e r o a m e d t h e e a r l i e s t m o r n i n g In th e e m p t i e s t s t r e e t s . I 'v e w a t c h e d tw o l o v e r s in a c l o s i n g r e t r e a t H id a w a y in a c o r n e r . I h a te m a i l m e n a n d c o p s . I a m a w h i s p e r o f th e o n c e r e v o l u t i o n , I am a dogm an. I h a d a f a th e r b r e d f o r th e p its , He w a s l o s t a t t h e f i g h t s In a c lo u d o f c i g a r s m o k e . He n e v e r d id c o m e h o m e H is p o c k e t s f u l l o f C h r i s t m a s . I w a s a y o u n g d o g w h o w r o t e a n d w on T h e C a th o lic D a u g h te r s of A m e r ic a P o e tr y C o n te s t — It w a s d e p r e s s i n g s p e n d i n g t h e $25 c h e c k . . . . . . b u t I w a s a s e r i o u s y o u n g d o g lik e I a m n o w . I r e m e m b e r b u r y i n g b o n e s on a h i l l of p o e s y , S h e a v e s of v e r s e d r i e d in th e s o u n d s o f s u m m e r . I o n c e j o i n e d a j o u r n e y m a n 's o p e r a — A b it p a r t — So I p i c k e d a p p l e s in Y a k im a i n s t e a d . I 'v e w a lk e d b e n e a t h th e b o a r d w a lk s On b e a c h le s s s a n d s . I w a s k i s s e d b y a f i r s t g i r l I c a n 't r e m e m b e r . I h a v e a l w a y s b e e n t o o y o u n g to d i e , I a m b e c a u s e I 'm d y i n g . I h av e n e v e r b e e n m u z z le d . B u t I w a s a l m o s t s h a d o w e d by a 5 0 0 0 lb . C a d i l l a c — I h a v e n e v e r lo o k e d b o th w a y s w h e n I s h o u ld h a v e . I 'v e b e e n s o d o g t i r e d I 'v e s l e p t t h e b ig s l e e p . O I h a v e d r a n k a n d p i s s e d l ik e th e n e i g h b o r 's d o g On s o m e o n e e l s e 's p r o p e r t y . B ut I w as a d e m o c r a t th e n . I h a v e n e v e r h e a r d th e c a ll of m y m a s t e r 's v o ic e , N o r s h a k e n h is fe e d in g h a n d . I a m th e w a n to n w h i s p e r o f a b i t c h . No g re a t m a tte r Ju st a dogm an. JIM W IL L IS M A K IN G LOVE Y o u c a n 't e v e r r e m e m b e r it r e a l l y . Y ou w ak e up an d you do n o t know w h e re you a r e o r w ho you a re o r w h a t y o u a r e , th e l a s t l ig h t o f th e e v e n in g is c o m i n g up to th e w in d o w s , n o t c o m i n g in , a n d it is m o r e l i k e a c o ld m i s t t h a n l i g h t , g r e e n i s h , s t a n d i n g t h e r e in th e d e e p f r a m e s , t h e b e d p o s t a d a r k k n o b , n o t g l e a m i n g , th e h e a v y h e a v y b o d y of th e d e s k b e t w e e n tw o w in d o w s — s o l i d m a p l e w ith i t s c u r l e d r e s i n o u s b i r d s - e y e s s h i n i n g i n s i d e th e w o o d . A n d y o u t r y to th in k b a c k , y o u c a n n o t r e m e m b e r i t , i t s t a n d s in th e b a c k o f y o u r m in d l i k e a m o u n t a i n , a t n i g h t , b e h in d y o u , e n o r m o u s , o r a f i e l d of sn o w at n ig h t, y o u r p a n ts a r e to rn o r a c r o s s th e r o o m o r s t i l l d a n g li n g f r o m o n e le g l ik e a h e a v y s c a r l e t lo o p o f th e b o d y , y o u r b r a i s h a l f on o r n o t o r y o u w e r e n a k e d to b e g in w ith , yo u c a n n o t r e m e m b e r , a ll you know is you fe e l a b s o lu te , a n d e v e r y th in g is c h a n g e d . T o m o r r o w , m a y b e , t a k i n g a k id to s c h o o l , y o u r f o o t h a l f o ff th e c u r b in th e a i r y o u 'l l s e e h i s m o u th w h e r e it w a s a n d f e e l it a n d th e l a r g e d a r k d o u b le s t a r o f y o u r tw o b o d i e s b u t f o r n o w y o u a r e l ik e th e o n e in th e c r i b , you a r e e v e ry o n e r ig h t now , th e t h r e e m i l k y g r e e n i s h w in d o w s lik e s e n t i n e l s t h e r e s a y i n g D o n 't w o r r y , y o u w ill n o t r e m e m b e r , y o u w ill n e v e r k n o w . SH A RO N OLDS TRAVEL S i r , to fin d a n a n s w e r i s n o t e a s y a m o n g th e n e r v o u s m a s s . D r a w n e a r th e e x i l e , n o te h i s f i n g e r s m a n i c u r e d in p a v i l i o n s , a n d th e f e e t in s o f t s h o e s s h o d . O f te n f r o m l a n d s h e d e p a r t s in v a n i t y 's o f f i c e s , k n o w in g th e l u x u r y o f r e f u s a l ; y e t h o w e a s y to m i s t a k e f o r c o u r a g e is f e a r ' s g l a n c e . T h e m il k - b r ic k w a lls c a l l th e h o t e l c r e a t u r e s in to f o r m — th e h o u r l y a n i m a l s , a w a k e a t n i n e , b ru n c h in g a t p o n d -sid e ta b le s on c a rp : a v e s t e d h ip p o , a n A n g l i c a n g i r a f f e , t h e n e u r a s t h e n i c e lk b e n e a t h t h e i r v e i l s . T h e y to o r e c e d e , w ith t h e i r d a r i n g c l o t h e s a n d r id ic u lo u s m a n n e r s , fo o tn o te s to f o o t n o t e s in th e l o o s e m a s o n r y o f s c h o l a r s h i p . W h e r e e v e n a c c i d e n t a l p o is e r e c e i v e s th e i m p r i m a t u r o f h i s t o r y 's a r c h i t e c t , w ho s e e s b e y o n d c a r e l e s s w a n d e rin g s th e e m o t i o n a l c l a t t e r i n g s o f th e a g e ? F a s h i o n a l t e r s p o l i t i c s o r lo v e : lik e s e x u a l a n x ie ty , w h a t is lo s t is n o t s o m u c h a b a n d o n e d a s c o n v e r t e d a t th e B u r e a u d e C h a n g e ,o n e c u r r e n c y fo r a n o th e r , ta w d ry b ills c o m m e m o ra tin g a p r e s i d e n ti a l fo o l o r dow dy q u e e n . W IL L IA M LOGAN