{"id":296,"date":"2019-04-11T16:56:42","date_gmt":"2019-04-11T16:56:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english.illinoisstate.edu\/euphemism\/14-2\/?page_id=296"},"modified":"2019-04-11T17:03:58","modified_gmt":"2019-04-11T17:03:58","slug":"winter-intent","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/14-2\/winter-intent\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Intent"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Drawing a circle of chalk
<\/span>on<\/span>\u00a0the ground, \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>a<\/span>\u00a0young boy \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>then<\/span>\u00a0sits down inside it. \u202f\u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>The story we knew of my father \u2013<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>his<\/span>\u00a0simple solution \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>when<\/span>\u00a0the teachers insisted \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>he<\/span>\u00a0go out and play. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A rope lasso turns in the air \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>then<\/span>\u00a0settles in the dirt \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>of<\/span>\u00a0the Colorado high plateau. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>My cowgirl mother, \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>steps<\/span>\u00a0into the middle and stops. \u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, late last night, walking home \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0the winter cold of this Chinese city\u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>there<\/span>\u00a0are flares of light ahead. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As I\u00a0<\/span>draw<\/span>\u00a0near \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>they<\/span>\u00a0grow into flames. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Out of the darkness \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>a<\/span>\u00a0few shadows silently \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>bend<\/span>\u00a0to the sidewalk, \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>draw<\/span>\u00a0a chalk circle, \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>then<\/span>\u00a0light a small fire. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>They blaze quickly \u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>but<\/span>\u00a0die quickly too. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Further ahead, \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>more<\/span>\u00a0shadows step forward, \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>draw<\/span>\u00a0circles, light fires. \u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I look down as I pass \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0see many dozens \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>of<\/span>\u00a0circles and ash \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>already<\/span>\u00a0burned. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>On every sidewalk. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>block<\/span>\u00a0after block, \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0sidewalks are covered \u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>with<\/span>\u00a0them. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Up ahead \u2013<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>Shadows\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>Circles<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>Fires. \u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tonight is the start of winter, \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0it’s believed that the Dead \u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>will<\/span>\u00a0need money, food, clothing \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0keep them through the long cold. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>The Living burn fires \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0this world \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0warm and provide for the dead in theirs. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>Paper effigies of comfort \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>transformed<\/span>\u00a0in flames. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I sit this evening \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>with<\/span>\u00a0scissors and paper. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>I have no plan or pattern. \u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>I think my father would like his piano. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>At this\u00a0<\/span>point<\/span>\u00a0I think my mother would probably \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>like<\/span>\u00a0a few good books.<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>I’m<\/span>\u00a0not so sure about the chess set \u2013<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>it’s<\/span>\u00a0mine now fair and square.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mostly I try to make warm clothes, \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>although<\/span>\u00a0I have no skill at this. \u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I am so very sorry everyone. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>I did not know. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0
<\/span>I did not mean to leave you cold.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Drawing a circle of chalkon\u00a0the ground, \u202f\u00a0a\u00a0young boy \u202f\u00a0then\u00a0sits down inside it. \u202f\u202f\u202f\u00a0The story we knew of my father \u2013\u00a0his\u00a0simple solution \u202f\u00a0when\u00a0the teachers insisted \u202f\u00a0he\u00a0go out and play. \u202f\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A rope lasso turns in the air \u202f\u00a0then\u00a0settles in the dirt \u202f\u00a0of\u00a0the Colorado high plateau. \u202f\u00a0My cowgirl mother, \u202f\u00a0steps\u00a0into the middle and stops. \u202f\u202f\u00a0 Now, late […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-296","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/14-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/14-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/14-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/14-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/14-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=296"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/14-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/296\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":300,"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/14-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/296\/revisions\/300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/14-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}