Other essays on this theme

Essay: "Rituals"

by Jesse M. Govea
Rituals

AHHHHHAH! HAAAUP -- TUP! SSHHHHH...SHHHH...SHHH... SHHH... WHOOOOOSH! AHHHHAH! PRRRRRP! PURRRRRP! SHUIKU --SHUIKO --SHUSH -- SHUSHUIKO--SHUIKU GRRRGLE -- WOSH -- WOSH -- SPAT! WHOOSH...

The daily ritual of prison morning wake up seems to remain the same: a morning stretch--AHHH! The clearing of the throat--HAAAUP! The spiting out of the mucus--TUP! The emptying of the bladder--SHHHH and a few extra squirts--SHHH...SHH.. and the flushing of the toilet--WHOOOSH! Then another stretch--AHHHH! Blowing the nose clean of the buggers--PRRRP! PRRRP! And the brushing of the teeth--SHUIKU -- SHUIKO -- SHUSH -- SHUSHUIKO -- SHUIKU -- and the rinsing out of the mouth --WOSH -- WOSH -- WOSH! And the spiting of it out--SPAT! Then the toilet flushes--WHOOSH!

Some things never change, and when they ever do, we must adjust to change. We are adaptable beings--that's an advantage man has over all the animals in the world--we can adapt to any environment we find ourselves in.

This reminds me of an old Indian in the mountains. By looking to the west; mountains number 22 was the Indian's special place of rest, magic and meditation. The old man's name was Dan sleeping eagle buffalo feet. He had to be well over 100 years old. When he walked, he shuffled sideways, claiming to be walking between the enemy cracks.

Every October Lil Ear, Porkster, Big Ears, and several other young warriors hiked up mountain 22 to see the old man Dan sleeping eagle buffalo feet, he would hum and with eyes half closed sparks flew around his head and a pumpkin levitated in front of him.

The old man told us stories; some were scary. He said, "When Big Spirit send white buffalo, watch the sky," as he pointed to the east--a great thunder rolled and a bright flash lit the eastern sky line. Old man Dan sleeping eagle buffalo feet, rocked back and forth and warned us, "It's coming--sleep not. Be watchful of the sky...Big Spirit is mad, in a whirlwind he come. Go now or pumpkin eat you all up, like you all eat pumpkin. Go! Run! Go!!"

We all would run down the mountain trails, every October! I am still puzzled and perplexed by the old man's last words; "They went up over the mountains; they went down the valleys; to the place which you founded for them. At your rebuke they fled; at the voice of your thunder they hastened away. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains." "For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. "The old man trembled and pointed his crooked finger--wind swirled around us--as he yelled Go! Run! Spread the word!" Thunder and lightening flashed on mountain 22 as we all ran never to return.

Could the hurricanes Katrina and Rita be twin white buffalos? Taking Ka from Katrina and Ta from Rita makes Kata, taking Na from Katrina and Ta from Rita Nata--Katanata means twin buffalo. The view from the satellite looked like two white 400 mile wide giant buffalos to me. The End.

-Jesse M. Govea