posted March 16, 2003 08:01 PM            

Page One, Linda describes her definition of poetry. How it is what squeezes out of you when you've been squashed by Life, like a bug. Her greatest writing emerged from her deepest sorrow, and we are all better Blessed for it. She says she would have chosen a safer career had she known this.

My favorite passage is on Page 2:
I died unexpectedly while I was sleeping
and the last thing I remember is the sound of angels weeping
as they mourned my loss in Heaven, whispering a final blessing
to protect my immortal soul on its descent down into hell
a lonely prison of three dimensions...on a spinning ball called Earth

To those who have read Gooberz before, the importance of the next passage cannot be overstated:
then, from out of the darkness and dearth..of the night
that followed my death
immersed in the floating sensation of falling, sans all conscious will
I thought I heard, through the mist, a familiar voice calling...
"be still, my love, be still
somewhere..a clock is timing us"

Of course, that's her Twin calling out to her! I find it a bit foreboding to see Linda write that she died in her sleep from the other side, when she also "died" in her sleep here on Earth.

Then Linda tells of her birth, and how she was sickly at the age of two months, almost dying again (this time, down here)--looking like a dying baby robin, but her mother wouldn't listen to the doctors and fed her miracle milk from a nanny goat named Sue. She goes on to tell of her "ugly" straight hair and how much she wanted curls. I can't help but to laugh when I see Linda talk of pee-nee-monia, or cry when her Nanoo dies and her cheeks once warm like feather pillows become cold, as Linda thinks she should be covered with more fluffy conmforters and cozy grandma quilts or she would certainly catch pee-nee-monia. How sad. But we see the innocence of a child and how Linda first tasted death. There's a lot of death in Gooberz. Linda describes her early views of Jesus and of the Trinity. Her first religious indoctrination involved the Episcopal Church. Canto One is very important to the story, but one might have missed all the important passages had one not known the ending. That's why Gooberz should be read at least twice. Linda gives such delightful stories about her Nana and Dadoo (who rhymes with Boo and I Love You). Dadoo was the only one who ever told her that her straight hair was pretty. Linda bared her Soul in Canto One, and it sets the stage for the MAGIC that will follow. Her Nana would tell her, "now, just remember who you are" as she pondered just who she was if she wasn't her.

We see Linda's first experience at smelling the heavenly scent of SWEET PEAS after a storm, and she was levitated during the experience (by her Aunt Maud) as she saw her first rainbow after smelling the peas. This leads us into the most important part of the Canto (IMHO). At the very end, she writes:
the second time I felt myself levitate or lift from the ground
was years later, in another season - winter
and for a somewhat different reason
to do with lost and found

I won't ruin the ending for those reading it all the way through for the first time, but the words LOST AND FOUND have a very important meaning to the whole story. To those who have read it before, you get it don't you?

posted March 17, 2003 12:29 AM              

I am so happy about his forum!!

posted March 19, 2003 09:52 AM              

Everyone, ignore my question!

posted May 10, 2003 11:13 PM              

WELL! I was just reading to my mother your question about why Linda signed L.G. at the end of the page, Randall. I've been tring to get my Gemini mother to read Gooberz. and i asked her the question and she says:" maybe it stands for 'Lesser God'". She does not take her comet comment seriously but I sure do!! What do you think?

posted May 12, 2003 07:17 AM              

Maybe she was making a point about the Twin S-elves?

Just a wild thought.

posted May 25, 2003 11:35 AM            

And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3-4)

Her delight in the physical world around her is tempered with more esoteric thoughts of Jesus, death,levitation,heaven, angels and Dado telling her she could talk directly to God . It is the beginning of her unending search for spiritual answers. ie "does God ever cry". On to her adult search years later... I pondered why mortals should succumb to the darkness of unneccessary death before awaking to the light of the truth

The stage is set for the unfolding... as I see canto one anyhow

posted June 01, 2003 09:55 AM              

quote:

---

I died unexpectedly while I was sleeping
and the last thing I remember is the sound of angels weeping
as they mourned my loss in Heaven, whispering a final blessing
to protect my immortal soul on its descent down into hell
a lonely prison of three dimensions...on a spinning ball called Earth

---

According to this quote, Linda says that this is hell and I have always felt that it truly was otherwise, why would we say "hello"? This goes along with my theory (or maybe it's Linda's) that we are fallen angels ... fallen here into hell where we must redeem ourselves in order to earn our way back out of hell.

I think living here and longing for your Twin S-elf every waking minute of the day is hell enough.

As far as your comment about LOST AND FOUND Randall. I'm not sure what you mean even though this is my fifth time reading the book but then it's possible the way my brain works that I am totally over-analyzing it.

Anyway, just thought I'd make a comment for our group reading to get the ball rolling.

Love and Light

Heidi

posted June 02, 2003 02:45 PM            

The rose is also a recurring theme, as she receives a single rose from different Soul pieces in her Life.

posted June 03, 2003 01:31 PM            

We will be moving on in a little while, but if you are reading this late, we are always happy to go back to talk about any Canto.