A building at the south end of the Capitol lawn - at 16 stories, it is the tallest in that area - wheat-colored, with big plate windows half-filled by air-conditioner units, stands against a ribbon of dark gray, almost black storm clouds clinging to the hills west of town. From a nearly invisible vent pipe on top of the building, there is a wisp of white steam rising in shredded plumes in the wind.
A flock of doves circles the south lawn three times before lighting in a blurry fluster on the roof of the Senate Chamber. They pause there, as if to confer with one another, look at the map, bathe in scenic beauty for only a moment before retaking the cold skies.
The belt of blue sky that was visible to the west at the beginning of this vignette is gone and in its place is a radiance of smooth white clouds that dissolves into the darker gray above, and which is lost entirely behind the darkest gray - the almost black - still creeping along the horizon.
The building at the end of the lawn is still exhaling its white steam, and as the clouds roll on behind it, a flock of doves (the same flock?) sails toward the vent and then dives into the unseen alleys of downtown.
10 responses so far ↓
1 ari // Dec 4, 2002 at 3:07 pm
… to get all liquored up and find a little action, no doubt.
2 michaelbrown // Dec 4, 2002 at 5:12 pm
Hey, gotta get warm somehow.
3 Mr. X // Dec 5, 2002 at 12:28 pm
Usually when I’m out and about I’m too busy thinking about the damn pants (a jail really) that I’ve got to wear because the man makes me! Damn that man! I suggest you have a look at my site. Time to get out of these pants and screw THE MAN!
4 Josh // Dec 9, 2002 at 4:15 pm
Erm… Just checked my stat-logs… Saw this and got curious… I don’t know who X is, but for the record, I’m not dumb enough to shamelessly promote my site like that. Pants are evil. If someone’s not ready to accept that, then there’s no reason to force it on them.
5 Mr. X // Dec 9, 2002 at 11:36 pm
Dear Mr. Josh,
I understand your point of view, however the evil of pants is so evil that I am forced to resort to this ghetto fabulous grass roots campaign. Also thank you for making a fun site. I got some good laughs from your “What Men are Really Thinking” section. Keep up the good work, just don’t keep it up while wearing pants. If you have children, kindly protect them from pants. That is all.
6 Josh // Dec 9, 2002 at 11:57 pm
Not a problem. I discourage everyone from wearing pants equally. If I ever reproduce via any method other then genetic cloning, I shall do my best to instill the hatred of pants into their value systems. Thank you for your kind words.
7 Mr. X // Dec 10, 2002 at 3:03 pm
A clear side effect of Mr. Brown wearing pants are these double comments. Had this fine website been crafted in its entirety while pants were not worn, side effects such as these double comments could be fully avoided.
P.S. Saddam wears pants, look at all the trouble hes in. Babies don’t wear pants, have you ever heard of a baby getting in trouble? Yea think about that.
8 michaelbrown // Dec 10, 2002 at 6:38 pm
Ok, you guys are freaking me out now. Pants are not evil. People who wear pants are not evil. There is no conspiracy. The government loves you. So does God. Put your pants back on.
9 Josh // Dec 10, 2002 at 7:52 pm
Pants are evil, the government is about 2 steps away from tapping my phones (If they haven’t started already), and according to groups of his minions on earth, God hates me and I’m going to hell.
Pants = Bad. Government = After me. God = Also after me.
10 michaelbrown // Dec 12, 2002 at 11:20 pm
The word downtown, and I’m only saying what I’ve heard, is that God just wants his VCR back. Says you borrowed it and haven’t returned it. That’s why he’s after you. The government…? They’re just after you because it’s fashionable. Like all fads, it’ll pass.
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