Eileen is outside raking leaves. I have been straightening my books as well as the usual reading and practicing. I keep playing around with how the books by my chair are organized.

Things are beginning to return to normal whatever that is. I have lost ten pounds easily and my BP is as low as I remember it being. I am going to resume exercising a little at a time. I am extremely grateful that it looks like I’m pulling out of this kidney infection.

I hope that’s what it was.

In the meantime I keep pondering the books I am reading. Many books of poetry on my current list as well as books about African American history and Native people’s history. It is interesting how these two overlap. Organizing the books laying around is an attempt to keep up with stuff. I now have way too many books to be reading at once. Consequently, I finished two today: The Snows of Venice by Ben Lerner and Andre Kluge and a new translation of Rilke’s Duino Elegies.

These are pretty tough going. The first one seems to be co-written in response to a book of poetry by Lerner, The Lichtenberg Figures, which I have read. Rilke’s always fun.

I’m hoping that by organizing my books a bit better I will get to them more often and finish some other books.

I have been concentrating on Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth by Wole Soyinka. It’s one of several pieces of fiction I am trying to bring to a close.

Eileen is coming in.