waldopaper

Do yourself a Favor

Cubitt Town, 1864

The iron Confederate cruiser Tallahassee was named after the Confederate state capital of Tallahassee in Florida and was built on the River Thames by J & W Dudgeon of Cubitt Town, London for London, Chatham & Dover Rly. Co. to the design of Capt. T. E. Symonds, Royal Navy, ostensibly for the Chinese opium trade. She was previously the blockade runner Atalanta and made the Dover-Calais crossing in 77 minutes on an even keel. She had made several blockade runs between Bermuda and Wilmington, N.C. before the Confederates bought her. 

My Lord Baron:  we have acquired a 700 ton fast oceanic vessel for your service armed with 1 rifled 32 pounder forward, 1 rifled 100 pounder amidships, 1 heavy Parrot aft for defense.  Mr. C will send particulars regarding our American manufactures and delivery.  Your servant H.  Now Tom… have Chaska see the wire is acknowledged.  He scares the white people.  Sure enough boss.  Got to get working on the railroad.  Ja but this schnellboot is ours.  Not for Mr. James.   For our own prizes.  Leave me off at Charleston boss.  Thabo know what you gonna do.  

The Rest is Silence

In Atlanta, Georgia, the city government intends to destroy large swaths of what remains of the South River Forest—also known by the Muskogee name for the river, Weelaunee. In place of one stretch of woods, they aim to build a police training compound; they have sold the neighboring part to Blackhall Studios executive Ryan Millsap, who intends to build a giant soundstage. Yet for more than a year now, activists have protected the forest against their plans.  There’s joy in our fight. This spirit, this forest, will never be able to be contained. Naturally Symonds pocketed my drawings.

Everywhere you look, the police are trying to shrink our worlds, shrink our lives. But we have chosen to say no. Our fight extends beyond the borders of this forest—it extends through our expressions of collective and individual joy, incomprehensible to the narrow imaginations of the police and the ruling class that they protect. Thabo say he couldn’t help himself. Now Tom- that was the plan. They built it. We bought it. They fed the fish. We caught it. Honor among thieves is Miss Steak among beeves. Saving they hide out the mine.  Lost cause and effect. Get no respect. Marble head of a pin.

Sludge hammer gonna bare it an grin.