Commentary
I attended the August 30 town hall meet ing with Cong. Barney Frank at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center and was given the opportunity to ask a question about a comment he made in his opening remarks about the solvency of our Social Security system. His answer left much to be desired, and only served to reinforce my conviction that our elected leaders refuse to admit that Social Security is insolvent, and that drastic steps are needed to repair it.
In Memory of Julia
Like leaves of fall, shells change in shape,
managing their change of fate.
Parts and pieces, seaweed strewn,
parade of beauty, stop to swoon.
Reeds of grass, like tufts of hair,
climbing toward the well-worn stair.
Tidal swim, when moon is full,
arms outstretched to catch the pull.
From piers we leap into the chop,
and beg this summer not stop.
Nine Eleven: 10 Years Later
Heavy skies drop rain
daily in intermittent waves
this old summer cottage
of ours harbors air eddies
demands the wood stove
current-sucking heater coils
extra layers, sweaters, wool
socks; trees wave remnants
of their storm-seared leaves.
Potted foliage sags its greenery
fallen petals stain the porch floor
Business Boosters
Many remember the bike race that used to anchor the annual Tivoli Day weekend in Oak Bluffs; it was a kind of must-do autumn event that we looked forward to every year. After a long summer of hard work, this was our time to get out and bask in the warm September sun, reclaiming the Island absent the crowds and traffic. Tivoli Day was a quintessential Vineyard event.
Blinders Off at the Blinker
The proposal to replace the blinker intersection in Oak Bluffs with a roundabout, under discussion now for a full decade, has become irresistible fodder for headline writers here and elsewhere. Facts and arguments are brought up and shot down, rising and falling like the Flying Horses, restated and refuted, over and over again. Will it improve safety? Will it reduce congestion? Will it change the character of the Island? Yes and no, yes and no.
Gone Fishing