Savannah Solstice

(scroll down for poetry and photographs)

On Friday, we made the drive to Savannah, leaving Atlanta at 2:45 PM, and just beating the traffic out of town. We arrived in time to walk to Chuck's Bar on the River, Blaine's, and Pinkie's, all packed on this Father's Day weekend. Then we attended an all night party on 48th St. just beating the sunrise to get to bed by 5. (Thanks for the party, Tye.)
On Saturday, John and I joined Dad and Maggie at the mall. In the afternoon, Dar and I checked into our suite and drove to Tybee. We gathered on the deck of the house just down from the Sugar Shack.
On Father's day, as rain and wind whipped the beach, we met Dad on the covered deck of AJ's on the Back River of Tybee. We sated our hunger with seafood. Go for the shrimp.
Single malt scotch soothed away the day's storms as we sat once again at the beach house.
As the rain stopped, we went to Fanny's on the boardwalk. Fun crowd, including a few extras from the "Midnight" movie.
Dar flew home Monday at sunrise and I went to Tybee to play tennis (watching Wimbledon in the morning didn't help my game). Sunburn .
John brought Mom to our return dinner at AJ's. and the next day (Tues.) many of us met at Mrs. Wilkes where Mom was holding forth to the startled old couple from Indiana.
Mrs. Wilkes: Southern cooking and the Late Mrs Wilkes' granddaughter Marcia with whom I used to cut up in English class in highschool. Love the fried chicken and okra and tomatoes.
To conclude: Solstice in Savannah: Savannah parks, gay bars (Chucks and Blaines), moss draped oaks and cool shade. Bricks and memories. Kathy's art gallery. Johnny Mercer's grand nephew Robby stabbed in Daffin Park. John visits him-- he just survived bleeding to death.
Thoughts of death haunt this town. Cemetaries and Father's Day. Rocking with Lee on the broad deck of the beach house. Then drinking with Chris at Blaines, hearing his lament.
I found solace in the walks on the beach with the full moon rising. Night after night. Last night walking the whole length of Tybee with Karen, Steve, and Carl to the pier. remembering New Orleans' Marcie West saying "The wind and the rain erase it all, Jack."


We ended my last evening on the ocean with a recitation from D.H. Lawrence:

MOONRISE

And who has seen the moon, who has not seen
Her rise from out the chamber of the deep,
Flushed and grand and naked, as from the chamber
Of finished bridegroom, seen her rise and throw
Confession of delight upon the wave,
Littering the waves with her own superscription
Of bliss, till all her lambent beauty shakes towards us
Spread out and known at last, and we are sure
That beauty is a thing beyond the grave,
That perfect, bright experience never falls
To nothingness, and time will dim the moon
Sooner than our full consummation here
In this odd life will tarnish or pass away.

(D.H. Lawrence, 'Moonrise')


Photos:
http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=24402818/t_=5822461