(9-11 photo of the man falling from the WTC)

Manhattan Buddha

by Mark Smith-Soto

Straight-backed, seated on the window ledge,

he looks down at traffic pebbling the street ninety floors below,

the hair at the back of his neck about to catch,

nothing but morning air under his dangled feet.

The flames behind him make the sound of waves

trying to clutch the sand they just can’t hold, the way they never could.

He sees it all and smiles.

There is no humbug in him,

in his oblique worship of the horizon,

the seagulls, the faithful ferries dragging like dunked flies across the water;

his face alert as if he watched God watching,

he opens his arms and falls -- leaving me here

inside, clinging to myself, the walls on fire.

"Broken Gargoyles"

Photos of gargoyles

A few years ago, my wife and I flew down to New Orleans (before Katrina) to spend a few days in the French Quarter. I know that there are other interesting places in The Big Easy, but in my opinion, you couldn't beat Bourbon Street and the rest of the Quarter for having a good time. Restaurants, shop, frozen hurricanes, pralines, and the Mississippi River. We have always been able to spend the entire week enjoying the town without ever using a vehicle. This is good because of the availability of the aforementioned frozen hurricanes (which I truly enjoy).

This particular week, we experienced rainy weather for the better part of three days during our vacation. Did that keep us off of the streets? We got the greatest panchos that kept us very dry.

At around 9:00 one evening, we entered a wonderful little shop called "Yesteryear". I go in there every time I am in the Quarter. I know to be careful because they have many breakable items on tables and stands which are placed closely together. There is just enough room to carefully walk between the various displays. It is difficult to be that careful while wearing a baggy and wet plastic pancho.

One of us knocked a small statue of a gargoyle from a table breaking one of the wings on the gruesome little creature. Of course, we were obliged to buy the repulsively appealing little rascal. I brought him home, and with the help of superglue gel, I put the wing back in place to stay. Thus was his power to repel the evil spirits that might pursue me revived. That little broken gargoyle sits on my bookshelf today as a reminder of how much fun and enjoyment my wife and I can have together.

I believe in the saying, "Knowledge is Power." Learning and knowing coupled with a positive attitude and a strong sense of humor will keep the evil spirits away. I hope that this blog will be fun, and perhaps it will be informative from time to time. Hopefully, the broken gargoyle will help keep the evil spirits away from all of us.

--Kevin