IN SUN AND SNOW
THE HOMESTEAD IS OUR HOMESTEAD
I HOT SPRING
Last winter when I informed my friend Babak that I am going to visit his current hometown,Hot Spring,Virginia,I did not speculate a snow storm is coming across the mountain.In fact snow storm did not happen much on the mountain or across,but caught on surprise and overwhelmed Washington area.It buried our cars and driveways and roofs and houses,and even ourselves ,with all plans four our journey.So there was no choice but staying put in the city and plowing the snow,part time until sun appears again.
Now I made my mind for a make up plan,and with summer gone officially after Labor Day,I want to see how birds and trees feel on George Washington National forest,Alleghaney Mountain and all over Appalachian Trail.
And Omar Khayyam who was on the road with me , said:
IN THE ROUND OF OUR COMING AND GOING
THERE IS NO CLEAR BEGINNING OR ENDING
NO ONE GIVES A TRUE MEANING
WHERE THIS COMING IS FROM ,AND THE GOING
These are from my Non-Fitzgeraldin Translation Experiences.I already presented some of my ROBAIYAT RUMI,in internet or in print,and will continue with NIMA's in fall .when I will take them around again for for another round of Fall Foliage.
The Virginia Byway I take is actually,backroad to byways!It is the same road coming along , but changes its names and numbers from 254 to 42 to 39and then 220,and from Staunton Parkway to Parksburg Turnpike to Mountain Valley Road to Sam Snead highway,in honor of a native son,turning to Park Lane and Homestead drive.These are just to confuse the drivers,but I won't give in.and with a pair of new tires under my car ,and a set of new breaks ,I push on gas accelator,and going round and round,up and down,and down and up.This is Bath country ,a springdom like Baden Baden of Germany,Corridor des Bains of France,or Ramsar ,Larijan and Ab Ask ,Sarein of Ardebil,Azarbayejan,Hamedan of Iran.More in Rome,Terme di Caracalla comes to mind,where we stayed in our first visit of spring 1969.Although not a spring but a public sanitary house of antiquity,now in ruins Everywhere is called SPRING,in an unthinkable unbreakable mountainsite,.And you name them:
HOT SPRING
WARM SPRING
(lukewarm and cold and fair and boiling spring too,Like Abgarm Larijan of Alborz mountain that we had to let it run and stay overnite to relatively cool off)
FAILING SPRING
HEALING SPRING
MAILBORO SPRINGS
MINNOHENA SPRINGS(across the border to WEST VIRGINIA)
AUGUSTA SPRING
CLIFTON FORGE SPRING
FALLING SPRING(did I say it before?)
You may invent some,as probably I already did,or may be these:
SOL SPRING
SOLEIL SPRING
FARA SPRING
WAVE SPRING
SUSIE SPRING
SKY SPRING
TRISSKY SPRING
SAM SPRING
SARI SPRING,which is actuall the title of some poems in my trilogy:NIMAIHA
See More:www.nimaiha.blogspot.com
(a work in progress)
*
I am driving through National Forest of Bath County on Alleghaney Mountain,foraging for nectars,and I hear Giacomo Puccini's La Boheme,in Broadway performance,also Hearn Garth Group Newel playing chamber music,with morning glories and moon flowers,accompanying Lindsey Rooster,with strawberry covered cheese cake ,a signature of my trips,saturated with saturated and trans fat,ina maonththat I go wegan on my diet!This happened after Casino's signature club sandwitch and plenty of sun and wind,up and down main street,and down and up main street.I know now that all the burning springs are burning to burn out all your calories,anxiety and fatigue,both physically and mentally ,and that counts for four in this dormant spa spot of our silent sphere!Viva vacations,short or long,fitting everybody's budgets and pockets.
*
Babak arrived in main street to meet me.Apparenly he did not take metro,cab or shuttle,because as soon as I called him to announce my presence,he was there.This son of "the post revolution burnt generation " looked friendly and joyous.I told him I always miss small town America,and Main Street America.When I lived in HACKENSACK,NEW JERSEY,in 1969,Although she was called CITY OF HACKENSACK,because of being the capital of BERGEN COUNTY,and a neighbor of George and Martha Washington Bridge of NEW YORK CITY,but she was considered small town America ,with a decent Main Street America,and a humbel H shape hospital ,HACKENSACK HOSPITAL,with its neighborhood and vicinities.There I had my first and only haircut,a crew cut that Mina didn't like and took over ,from then on,as my hair stylist.There a Pathmark supermarket there,a bar and a tobacco shop,where I bought my first pipe with half and hlaf tobacco anfd puffed it to the world.Then later on I made a 10,000 mile journey to Discover America,to enjoy fabulous small towns and marvellous main streets with bars and tobacco shops,and barber shops with red-white-blue cylinders up front rolling forever.I go around to sit in small ,not - chained little eatery and diners,before the first Mc Donalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken arrived.
Now I Hot Spring with my friend Babak and enjoy this pretty place on a sunny day of autumn-around the corner-and in a couple of hours get to know everybody in town.
*
We made a visit to Homestead too.When I called it Homested,the host lady behind the desk very seiously objected.A pretty bride in red brick walls and white doors and windows and Persian wooden screen,embraced by green grass ,trees and gardens, and green hills is properly called:
THE HOMESTEAD.
We walked through the doors after playing with gigantic chess pieces on a huge chessboard,or rather black and white plastic spread.We visited the inviting shops with very friendly attendants,tending fashionable customers in an indoor bazar,and the halls and veranda,then sat on comfy chairs to perform the ever ritual of our journeys:writing postcards for Mina,Ida,Sia,Tristan and Skylar,as well as Susie,but not so much to Nima and friends this time.
O my postcards of Iran and three and a half continents!
O my traveletters and notes and fotos and slides!
Stay where you are
with friends and family
and or in big plastic bags and boxes
until someone discovers you
in a lost future
that is called
destiny.
*
Writing postcards not only relieves me but helps relieving US Postal Service debts and dficits.I continued this habit and did not loose it to email fever,particularly with THE HOMESTEAD overlooking this task.
THE HOMESTEAD ,although young and voluptuous, was born 1766,a decade before The United States,and a couple of decades before The State of Virginia.But three decades after Bath country with her 5000 residents.She went on through a long life.She had her good days and bad days.A fire broke out to burn her body,which was restored by compassionate architects,and now again in good shape,and so sexy on the foothills of Alleghaney Mountain.
*
I hot spring with Babak who takes me to baks x 2,pharmacy,wine and liquor store,post office with empty mail box(and he says nobody likes me),chamber of commerce of Bath County,couple of resturants and grills,including subway,and a lot of Homestead places,and that is it!We meet Jamaicans and Puerto Ricans,blacks and whites,Golfers, swimmers ,horseback riders,hikers and walkers ,massage mongers and Spa superstitious.We observe enthusiastically stones and rocks,dragonflies and butterflies,and or any other flies!black eye susans,golf caddies,gardeners and drivers,and walk up and down Main Street,and up and down Main Street,times and again.
My gracious poet host,when free,spending times with Rolain Barth,Harold Bloom,his semiotic books,now my green-white and red,in praise of a glass of orance juice,nocturne of rock garden,among Contemporary Persian Poetry ,and his violins and flute .He gave up his thrombone ,sax and clarinet temporarily,because they make too much noise,probably intolerable for a 300 population little town,who prefer music of nature,as well.
I told him HAIKU,as a daily poetical exercise is good for your health.It is short and it does not make noise at all.He writes poems of other length and sorts,and is planning to go to college,weather staying in here or not.Haikuing or not!I thought a campus of University of Virginia would have been a good annex to this town,for higher education enthusiasts like him,but that also seems to provide high dcible noise and disturb everybody's nap.Too much burden to people's heart and cardiovascular system.By the way I did not see Doctors office or Medical clinics,nor hospitals, in Hot spring.They either don't need this kind of stuff,or they make a trip to near-by small towns,if the time comes.
*
As a confession,I did not pay a visit to the great golfer SAM SNEAD,and I owe him this.He was born 1912 and grew up in Bath county.He passed in 2002 and buried in here,still to be considered a resident of his home county.Next time when I visit him I also go to 205 foot tall Falling Spring,who claims to be 30 feet taller than Niagara Falls of New York,between U.S. and Canada .I will not miss a visit to Lake Moomaw even if I don't fish.Also Cascade Inn and Clubhouse of 19th and 20th centuries may wait for me in Fall foliage or some other tims..
*
When we were sitting in club house,I wrote some Haiku,but the pen and paper remained idle in my friend's hands.He was thinking then to write one.He still is.We all are.Sometimes with writing.Sometimes without!exactly like taking a nap,awakened too comes and goes!
Every year shadows and screens are shadowing
shadows and screens are passing by
and you
who are going to disappear
behind the wall
and shadows and screens.
So I pull the screen
to make it simple
and you are sad
and simple
behind the wall.
So are shadows and screens
still shadowing.
*
When shaking hands to say good bye,I asked if there are mosquitoes around there.
-Not of mosquitoes,Babak says,but a lot of bears.
The first thing you are advised is shut the doors and the windows.
Hungry bears are all over places.
Bear with bears!
If I Hot Spring
If you Hot Spring
Bears hot Spring too
Beware of bears,Babak!
I appreciate Babak,whose home state like mine in SHOMAL of IRAN, has a lot of similarities to BATH COUNTRY and HOT SPRING,like an old neighbor, not to mention National Forest,Appalachian Trail ,Alleghaney Mountain and VIRGINIA COUNTRY with CardinalS and Dogwwoods as her official bird and flower.I hope someday we all make it there together,with all family and friends,old and new,gone and present ,to revive memories and make the image of eternity and infinity in our native land,as well as in postcards,notes and fotos!
*
On the road ,I went from highways to byways. Parkways,turnpikes,trails,paths ,paces ,terrains and alleys,to get to the point where I was,and still going to where it takes,to reach forests and woods and hills and mountains,on the way to Hot Springs,and to be home hot,to prepare for more road running...
--F.S.
modified 09272010
