Marc Comtois

A leaf long fallen Flew again Lifted by a familiar breeze. It floated up, then down Twirled 'round and with a bound Danced with seeming glee. Yet its airy parade Was but a charade. As the animating wind Faded again, The leaf rocked down Floated to ground Lifeless and brown as before.

As I was driving to my soccer game last night, the snow was coming down, the roads were a mess and the Beastie Boys "No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn" came on the radio. This confluence of events called to mind the winter I spent working the T-bar at Hermon Mountain ('86-'87). Weekends and late week nights spent in the cold, earning some $ and screwing off with a bunch of Hermon and Bangor guys were a blast. A bunch of college-bound kids tasked with keeping a diesel-engine driven ski lift running? Yeah, that worked out well! Then there was the T-bar rocket seating method, where we would put the smart-ass little kids on the lift, but hold the bar long enough to get the spring inside the bar full of tension. Then RELEASE and aaaaahhhhh! Hey, we thought it was funny. Snowball fights, sliding down Cloud Nine on snow shovels, working in the rental shop and setting bindings without having a CLUE as to what the hell I was doing...good times! *Originally written...

Oh! little mover of teenagers long ago. You suffered indignity sliding to and fro' along wintry paths hitting telephone poles and snowbanks. And rolling rolling rolling. You took your charges safely from home and back again. Running on gas or fumes. And hope. Yet rarely did you fail of your own volition. Always faithful. Always true whether parked or idling or on the move. 'Til you could move no more. *Originally written 1/30/2009  

The end of the year calls to mind All the days left behind People newly met and those we've lost Mistakes that were made and what they cost Happily the year-end also inspires A rekindling of coals that fire desires For wishes born out, more laughter and love More kindness and hope and blessings from above Every year-end is another's begin A time to start ...

It's a scattered existence, blogging and commenting, tweeting and facebooking - who did I say what to whom and when?  I'm not sure there really is a way to capture it all, but this simple page is meant to be a place to aggregate my web presence. If anyone cares.