Never Say Not Never

My younger brother died on AIDS in 1995. Our family buried him next to my mother. I couldn't speak at the funeral. I said little after the burial. My sisters knew that I had a packet of airline tickets in my pocket. Each destination offered a holy site. Time spent in their proximity expiated all sins.

Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok, Thailand
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, Tibet
Varanasi
The Bodhi Tree
Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal

A few go-go bars too, so I understand how the Israelis consider the Western Wall or Wailing Wall one of the holiest sites in the world for Jewish worship. It was built by Herod, the original bacon Jew, 19 years before the birth of the Great Troublemaker. The stones weigh between 2 and 8 tons.

Heavy.

I tried to lift a water-soaked log at the beach today.

Impossible.

Not for the builders of the Second Temple.

The Glory of Yahweh suffered greatly at the hands of the Romans. The Latin rulers banned Jews from Jerusalem for centuries after their revolt in 135AD. After the Arab conquest the Jews were left the Wailing Wall as a reminder of what they had lost. The Western Wall still exerts incredible power over both Jews and Muslims.

The O;d Testament means little to Christian.

Only whatever will make a good movie.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

The best of the Old Testament movie helped establish the concept of Israel in the American consciousness along with EXODUS. The Arabs were interlopers on the Holy Land and the current Prime Minister of the Middle Eastern Apartheid state has vowed to never give up the Western Wall along with the rejection of right to return for the refugees over the occupation of Palestine.

"Maybe 20,000."

The refugees number in the millions.

Jordan 1,983,733
Lebanon 425,640
Syria 472,109
West Bank 778,993
Gaza Strip 1,106,195

My grocer in Fort Greene is Palestinian.

Neither of us have an answer to the questions posed by the powers in this problem.

I entered the store on South Portland for ice. Ralph is a good man. He asked me to speak to a Latino man my age bothering his young worker. I had been bullied as a child. The Puerto Rican man was a construction worker. His clothes were covered in dust. This was the end of his day. The 6th day of work. OT. He held a long Bud in his hand.

"You picking on the boy?"

"I say some shit."

"That's not right. You're my age. 50s. We're supposed to be helping the young. This boy has a job. Not many kids can say that, because these are hard times. So lay off the young brother." I outweighed the seated man by 40 pounds. My most serious exertion for the day was bicycling from Fort Greene to Rockaway Beach. I was ready for nothing. "This time is about feeling better. We have to be stronger. We can't let the world beat us down. Not us among us."

"Yeah." He was non-committal. It had been a long week.

"Yo, young boy, he give you any trouble, let me know and give me $10. I punch him once. Not to hurt him, but to let him know you have back-up."

Ralph was happy with my discourse. He couldn't talk to customers this way. Every penny counted in the grand scheme of things.

"Plus a bacon and egg sandwich, if you can me and I'm in bed."

I clapped the Puerto Rican brother on the shoulder. I worked hard too. I drank beer too. Just never Bud. We shook hands and I bid Ralph good-night. The young boy said thanks. "Remember a bacon and egg sandwich."

"With cheese." He was grateful.

I could almost taste it now.

Bacon!!!!!!!!!!