My Jandek Plague Journal: 4/3/20 "Point Judith"

"But you know there’s more than this/’Cause you can see the boats sailing/And the gulls fly by fishing." I took a long walk after work today, along the bus route, past my stop, and over toward the edge of Seomyeon as I know it. The weather was beautiful and I was in just a t-shirt. I had a burger and a beer and watched the sun set over increased foot and vehicular traffic. Busan hasn't had a new infection for 10 days. Maybe it's okay to start being optimistic, to start thinking of how we'll shape the world to come. I talked to my colleague by the bus stop along my walk and they said they'd regretted not remaining in Spain. Despite the ravages of the disease there, they would have been in a community they were familiar with, nearby their partner. There are reasons to stay behind, things that call you back, even in the worst of circumstances. Were I still in the States, I'd feel as far away and useless as I do now which suggests, despite the people I care about there, that I'd left long ago. -4/3/20. "Point Judith" from Six and Six (lyrics) (one week earlier) (one week later)