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Doug, I wonder if you want "He REAL cool" for the sake of rhythm and a stronger allusion to Gwendolyn Brooks? Candice --- Roger Day <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I liked this. Very vivid. Particularly the bit where > the taxi mounted the path. > > On 4/3/07, andrew burke <[log in to unmask]> > wrote: > > The day was Monday so I rose early and went out to > second campus by > > the uni bus at 7.20am. I taught freshmen Oral > English until 10am and > > then caught a taxi back home. It is not expensive > to catch a taxi > > here, but it is often exciting, if sometimes > dangerous. Today the > > driver was an anachronism in physical appearance. > He looked exactly > > like a cartoon version of a 1950s/early 1960s > American hipster: about > > 30 years old, in a wide-lapelled, double breasted > jacket with a dark > > shirt underneath, 'cool' sunglasses, a prickly > black goatee beard with > > matching moustache, and a crazy haircut not unlike > an old flat-top > > Kramer cut from those decades. When I sat down, he > said 'Hell oh', > > gunned the tincan taxi out into the traffic, then > grinned and said, > > all as one phrase, 'Hell oh sit down pleeze'. I > liked his way of > > driving - fearless, fast and lyrical. He drove > like I imagine Dean > > Moriarty of _On the Road_ fame would have driven – > or maybe the real > > man behind the wheel of Keroauc's novel, Neal > Cassidy. My driver knew > > where every inch of outside skin on his tincan > was, and he ducked and > > dived through the slenderest alleyways of traffic > like some kind of > > animal … In fact. that was it!, the tincan was an > extension of himself > > and he was ducking and jiving like an Aboriginal > Aussie rules football > > player. And when the opposition defence got too > obstructive – four > > lanes of raggedy parked traffic at the red light, > with bicycles and > > pedestrians all taking up any inch of space - he > took off the road and > > went around that corner on a broad footpath! Hah! > He did it all so > > effortlessly and with such clear-eyed athleticism > that I just sat > > there and marvelled. I don't know how he didn't > hit anybody or cause > > an accident, but he did it languorously, driving > me home quicker and > > smoother than any other taxi-driving maniac in > this crazy city. > > > > He cool > > He no need no driving school > > He a crazy Zen-driving fool > > Playing the road like he's shooting pool … > > > > > > -- > > Andrew > > http://hispirits.blogspot.com/ > > http://www.inblogs.net/hispirits > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/aburke/ > > > > > -- > My Stuff: http://www.badstep.net/ > "Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious." Oscar Wilde > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for earth-friendly autos? Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Yahoo! Autos' Green Center. http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/