Visit to Mt. Vernon
Small-scale grandness
here is the circle where
carriages could arrive
who'd say arrivo?
far indeed from Italy
"deposit all gum here"
what a beautiful table
now let's see the video
George Washington was a farmer
he favored paintings of water
the key to the Bastille
is framed in olden glass
First in war
First in peace
be sure to watch your head
below is his private study
Mildly drizzly Saturday afternoon: went with friends on a little drive to visit this local tourist spot; even with the sporadic rain, a steady stream of visitors are lead through the house by a team of docents, who recite their prepared spiels in their designated places. There's an odd kind of unintended postmdernism afoot -- through the overlap of heard spiels from more than one source (the overall space being a bit small, the spielers not always far enough apart). It was a relief to make it out of the labyrinth of the house and view the wide river.
We strolled down, past meadows, to the water-side. The enigmas of slavery shadow the place of course. Apparently the Washingtons had an endless stream of house-guests. The "double harpsichord" was a happy detail. When (in car driving north again) I read my little poem to friends, Ginger Hammer remarked (vis-a-vis the final lines), "And actually, his study [on 1st floor] is directly below his corner-chair chamber-pot [2nd floor]." A detail I'd not noticed. I've lived in Washington, DC for almost 15 years; perhaps a brief visit to the city's namesake's own abode was due.
Later at dinner, Virginia Sheridan observed the founding fathers had pointedly back-burnered the slavery question -- due for discussion in 1806; GW felt there was no way the nascent nation could survive the tussle that would ensue if that matter were addressed at once. As it turned out, he himself expired -- untimely in his 60s -- before the appointed date arrived. A good deal later, Abe Lincoln took it up in earnest. Virginia also allowed (responsive to my thoughts) that Washington freed his slaves; those who remained, were his wife's (predating the marriage) and beyond his jurisdiction. Considering they presumably worked his fields, it could seem (from hindsight vantage) a thin distinction. Every age has its myopias, doubtless. Anyway, it's a history I've no expertise in. Jefferson and Franklin I feel some rapport with; Washington is more remote. The atmosphere of the house was for me, rather cold & lonesome (on this overcast day). Its erst holder, anyway, has my hat-tip & retrospective nod.
The key to the Bastille was an interesting detail. After the storming of the Bastille in 1789, Washington (our docenet told us) received a key to that erstwhile hateful prison: a symbolic gift of thankfulness from France's revolutionaries. Prizing this deep gesture, he kept the key in promiment display. (On the wall, in a glass case, it dangled above a lithogaph of the Bastille.)
No photos were allowed in the house. Here, instead, is a recent bust of Washington, on view beside the modern gift-shop. I also snapped a photo of the sign reading "Restrooms/ATMs" -- but it seems rather pointless to show that. (The machine, anyway, doesn't dispence bills in the denomination bearing this farmer's visage.)
Friends in the rather large boathouse (pergola?), viewing the water.
I'll consider this installment 2 in an occasional blogo-series of notes on DC-area monuments & suchlike. The first such item was here (the "bas reliefs at night" part).
here is the circle where
carriages could arrive
who'd say arrivo?
far indeed from Italy
"deposit all gum here"
what a beautiful table
now let's see the video
George Washington was a farmer
he favored paintings of water
the key to the Bastille
is framed in olden glass
First in war
First in peace
be sure to watch your head
below is his private study
Mildly drizzly Saturday afternoon: went with friends on a little drive to visit this local tourist spot; even with the sporadic rain, a steady stream of visitors are lead through the house by a team of docents, who recite their prepared spiels in their designated places. There's an odd kind of unintended postmdernism afoot -- through the overlap of heard spiels from more than one source (the overall space being a bit small, the spielers not always far enough apart). It was a relief to make it out of the labyrinth of the house and view the wide river.
We strolled down, past meadows, to the water-side. The enigmas of slavery shadow the place of course. Apparently the Washingtons had an endless stream of house-guests. The "double harpsichord" was a happy detail. When (in car driving north again) I read my little poem to friends, Ginger Hammer remarked (vis-a-vis the final lines), "And actually, his study [on 1st floor] is directly below his corner-chair chamber-pot [2nd floor]." A detail I'd not noticed. I've lived in Washington, DC for almost 15 years; perhaps a brief visit to the city's namesake's own abode was due.
Later at dinner, Virginia Sheridan observed the founding fathers had pointedly back-burnered the slavery question -- due for discussion in 1806; GW felt there was no way the nascent nation could survive the tussle that would ensue if that matter were addressed at once. As it turned out, he himself expired -- untimely in his 60s -- before the appointed date arrived. A good deal later, Abe Lincoln took it up in earnest. Virginia also allowed (responsive to my thoughts) that Washington freed his slaves; those who remained, were his wife's (predating the marriage) and beyond his jurisdiction. Considering they presumably worked his fields, it could seem (from hindsight vantage) a thin distinction. Every age has its myopias, doubtless. Anyway, it's a history I've no expertise in. Jefferson and Franklin I feel some rapport with; Washington is more remote. The atmosphere of the house was for me, rather cold & lonesome (on this overcast day). Its erst holder, anyway, has my hat-tip & retrospective nod.The key to the Bastille was an interesting detail. After the storming of the Bastille in 1789, Washington (our docenet told us) received a key to that erstwhile hateful prison: a symbolic gift of thankfulness from France's revolutionaries. Prizing this deep gesture, he kept the key in promiment display. (On the wall, in a glass case, it dangled above a lithogaph of the Bastille.)
No photos were allowed in the house. Here, instead, is a recent bust of Washington, on view beside the modern gift-shop. I also snapped a photo of the sign reading "Restrooms/ATMs" -- but it seems rather pointless to show that. (The machine, anyway, doesn't dispence bills in the denomination bearing this farmer's visage.)
Friends in the rather large boathouse (pergola?), viewing the water.
I'll consider this installment 2 in an occasional blogo-series of notes on DC-area monuments & suchlike. The first such item was here (the "bas reliefs at night" part).
posted by david raphael israel at 10:35 PM
4 Comments:
:)
nice opening verse. Scansion sense is lovely, as always.
Chamber pot detail was fun. Suddenly wondered-- so where did the line when the shit hits the fan come from, hmm?...
gravity. Arf arf.
Slavery discussion had to be backburnered, or the southern states wouldnt have ratified the constitution-- learning this in poli sci 120.
Saw his house on the discovery channel. Pretty landscaping.
Nice piece, d.i.
thx P'anka--
the lines
First in war
First in peace
were from one of the docent spiels. (Well actually, so were the 2 lines that follow; but those were "found poetry," and these were quoted poetry.)
Bartleby tags the quote here.
Yes, -- so! it looks like GW etc. went thru something a bit similar to what we've just seen in Iraq: back-burner some things that can't be resolved, and get a constitution signed. (Though saying this glosses over stuff. ;-) Still it seemed it was going that way at some point; all so changeful at this stage.)
"Watch your head" of course is because walking down the stairway, it can get bumped.
That's right; you live in D.C. I was there for the big anti-war march. I thought about writing a rap lyric for it but someone beat me to it:
President Bush, we knew your ass was bluffing,
Where are the weapons of mass destruction?
C'mon, Mr. President, tell us something.
I like that one a lot.
Good to visit your page again. I always learn from you.
Thanks for the drop-by, En;
new picture I see.
Those lines could be turned into a villanelle (though I won't attempt it; not today my cup of ice tea, so to speak). Yes, since I'm here in DC, I'm dabbling with some occasional local color "light / impressions" reportage -- such as the present post.
cheers, d.i.
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