I was rummaging through some stuff from my college days at CSC, Colorado State College and came upon my spiral
from freshman communications class – COM 101. You remember the one, they made you write different types of essays to develop your communication
skills? After glancing over a few less than stellar assignments I realized I
really could’ve used spell and grammar check and probably turned a few of the
B’s into A’s… to quote the instructor “watch for misplaced modifiers,
coordinate adjectives (?), sentence fragments and common errors – they distract
from the overall coherence.” What the hell is a coordinate adjective? I still don't know!
Anyway, for those of you that have read my more recent
attempts at written communication you might recognize the style that was
revealed back in 1968. I believe this was an assignment to write a
“Description”. Hmmm kinda open ended… This was titled “Description (?)”, and if
you spent any time on the campus in Greeley you probably know exactly where it takes place.
The
trees stretch toward the grey, menacing sky; their bare branches seem to grab
at the hazy afternoon ceiling. The pillars of living wood form like sentinels
along the broken cement walk. From the corner you pass through a corridor of
elm and oak while the shaggy rug of wintered grass lines the tipsy squares of
cement. Now and then the clatter of scattered gravel opens the cold silence and
seems to echo from behind each tree. A few paces down the walk and you might
catch a glimpse of a squirrel searching the joints of each branch for an
afternoon snack. But he sees you move and shoots up to the highest branch of
the tree, disappearing much like the afternoon breeze.
It’s
time you stopped and took in all that the wooded lawn has to offer. A few brisk
steps through the leaf scattered mat of grasses and you’ll find a spot to sit
and lean back against one of those magnificent wooden columns. As you put your
weight down a small, cold chill creeps up your back as if you’ve been caught up
in the webbing of a spiders home. At first the knotty bark needles its way
through your coat and into your back. But with a few small adjustments the knots
are comfortably placed and a new warmth overwhelms the coolness of the ground
beneath you. Taking time to look about, that grayish tail with feet suddenly
bounds from a tree just opposite yours. Try as you will to stay quiet and
motionless he soon spots your position and is off again, up among the spindly,
blackened branches of an immense elm. Losing him among the joints and jogs of
the wooden net your eyes catch the sun as it sneaks through the billowy sky.
The grayish afternoon crawls away while the tide of powdery blue and warming
sky redecorates the day. A chatter from the squirrel announces his joy as a
warm breeze pushes the leaves up from their resting places to crash and tumble
across the lawn.
But
still there is a cold loneliness surrounding you. It’s not the lack of beauty
or the cold that’s finally disappearing; it puzzles you to think what could be
wrong now, with the sun high amongst the vacant robins’ nests. Finally it
happens; you’re joined by a couple strolling down a worn pathway. They seem to
fill the whole colonnade of trees and ruddy grass rugs with something clean,
fresh and bright. Though they passed by in a moment, lost in their own world,
their brightness was shared by all. Even the wiry squirrel came down from his
mountainous perch, fearlessly beckoning to you. But with his chattering the
cold haze resumes, covering the sun as the evening grows near. So you pick
yourself up and briskly stroll back along the crumbling cement walkway, you
will remember this place, this day, it was good to you.
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