Media13.com is a source of free to republish or reprint articles, writers may submit your articles in our database as long so you agree that your article will be freely republish or reprint by other.

Submit Article

Search our database

Received article from us.

Name

Email Address

Friends

Bollywood News
Link building
Article submission service
Freelance Writers
Laser hair removal

We have been looking for freelance writers. Contact us

Terri Schiavo Dancing by Roger Wright

Connecting Terri Schiavo to Mr Bojangles

He said the name, Bojangles, and he danced a lick

Across the cell.

He grabbed his pants, a better stance, he jumped up high,

He clicked his heels.

He let go a laugh, he let go a laugh,

Shook back his clothes all around.

During Holy Week this year, in the seeping humidity and fluorescent half light of the 3:00 am Florida hospital a nurse poked her head into Terri Schiavo’s room.

And the nurse was alone.

Somewhere else, very, very far from that hospital room where the nurse stood alone; surrounded by the hulking quiet life support machines-----Terri and Michael were ice skating.

That trip to go ice skating started in the rolling winter cold of flat Midwestern prairie in a year of an early Easter. Off to an ice skating parade.

Chugging along in an old VW bus, Michael and a pal rolling into some basketball crazy town, turning into Will and Betsy’s heaping snow shoveled driveway---a hand lettered sign Will had stuck in the tallest snow pile right next to the back door that said THIS WAY TO PARADISE! Like some sort of palm waving parade. But instead there was snow.

Betsy was playing Holly Near and Michael could hear the words as he and his pal opened the door and stepped into the warmth of Betsy’s kitchen:

The junta took the fingers

From Victor Jara`s hand

They said to the gentle poet

Play your gitar now if you can

Well Victor started singing

Until they shot his body down

You can kill a man

But not a song

When it`s sung the whole world

round.

That trip through the flat, white, cold Midwestern prairie; like some sort of grand holiday parade. You could almost hear the cheering crowds of fate because something big, something really, really big was going to happen. That entry into the kitchen, those sounds of coming fate, and Will said: “Michael and his pal! You’re here! Let’s have some beer!”

Just Mike, his pal and Will and Betsy. If life would have ended right then and there next to that kitchen counter ---that would have been enough. Making it through all that snow and then the parade and then the warmth of the kitchen. That would have been enough. But there was the lingering feeling that something else was coming.

And then Terri came through the door.

Bundled up warm for winter in a puffy blue down coat and hats and scarves and sweaters and boots.

As Terri walked smiling through the kitchen door Michael`s thought was his own version of the John Cheever line:

She was the kind of woman who could make the simple act of taking her coat and sweater off seem as if she had slammed the door on time.

And of course because they were all so young, they had to soon go somewhere---so just as soon as they all got settled, it was back out into the cold—all together now: to go ice skating.

Terri, now lacing up her skates. Michael watching. And over the loud speaker in the indoor cool mist skating rink: Jackson Browne:

Every one I know

Everywhere I go

People need some reason to believe

Terri smiling. A glow that warms the entire ice rink. She and Michael skating in circles. He is enthralled. She is beaming. They are ice skating. A cool mist that somehow, someway warms them. Like they were some kind of northern people, despite Terri`s gentle southern draw. She and Michael skating in circles.

And from those slow, lazy, circles around the cool misty ice rink; pretty Terri keeps skating as Michael fades: and she hears a tune tapped out on a floor that’s turned from ice into well worn wood.

Tap dancing.

An old black man in the corner of. . . .it’s a cell. . .he bows and taps out:

Once I lived the life of a millionaire

Spending my money, I just didn’t care

Took all of my friends out

For a very good time

Buying bootleg whiskey

Champaign and wine. . . .

Terri watches and the old man says, “Mr William Robinson. They call me Bo Jangles. I am pleased to meet you ma`am.`

Terri nods. He says---someday there will be a song. . .and to the rhythm of the tap dance Terri watches and hears:

I knew a man Bojangles and he danced for you

In worn out shoes

With silver hair a ragged shirt and baggy pants

The old soft shoe

He jumped so high, jumped so high. .

And then to the rhythm of the tap. Terri heard the noise that had somehow been lingering at the edge of something far away. She heard:

“This is about the sanctity of life.” But the distant clamor of the noise and the hollow mish mash of the words spoken about some one other than her fade into dust and then nothing as Mr Bojangles keeps dancing. He taps out:

I met him in a cell in New Orleans. I was

Down and out

She heard her poor, sad parents and brother from far, far away: and she forgave them.

Mr Bojangles tapped out

He talked of life, he talked of life. . .

And then they were ice skating again! She and Michael. And all the noise from far away not only gone, it was forgotten.

And then Mr Bojangles: she heard him tap:

He let go a laugh, he let go a laugh

Shook back his clothes all around!

And then with all the clamor of the background noise gone, just like on a bright, clear Easter morning, leaping up from the circles of that ice rink, beaming like she did when she first walked thru that kitchen door:

Mr Bojangles gave her a nod.

And Terri Schiavo tapped out her own dance.

Author Info:

Roger Wright can be found on his salon.com blog CHURCH FOOD CHICAGO. He connects things in strange ways.

Latest 20 articles

IRS Offer in Compromise – Can It Solve Your IRS Tax Debt Problems? Taking on IRS tax debt is a daunting task that presents many confusing issues. The majority of taxpayers are aware of the option to pay their IRS tax debt in full or pay the tax debt in monthly payments or installments. But there is another option, the IRS “Offer in Compromise.” Knowing the steps to success with an IRS Offer in Compromise, also commonly called IRS tax settlement is important, bec

IRS Tax Debt Settlement Help – When You Need Expert Tax Debt Help With the recent downturn in the economy, Americans find themselves not only facing unsecured credit card debt problems, and difficulties handling their home and vehicle loans, but oftentimes unable to pay their IRS taxes in a timely manner. There is IRS tax debt help available to anyone who finds they owe money for back income taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. The federal government offers

Hidden Dog Fence for your dog Almost everyone who has a pet at home knows value of added exercise and the troublesome task of confining him within the boundaries of their own property. This task is especially difficult with dogs as they take it as a personal challenge to try and defy the fence boundaries. However, you can train your dog to respect his boundaries with the help of an invisible, underground wired dog fence /

Top Dog Containment Solution to make you Worry Free Is your dog driving you crazy? Are you sick of listening to your neighbors’ complaints about your dog running around in their yard? Then you are not alone; almost every pet owner suffers with this problem. Often they confine their dogs to the house due to fears that their dog may wander away. This is a valid fear, as dogs, especially the ones who are new to the house or have not been trained prope

Outdoor Services in Virginia A front lawn is the face of a house and no matter how beautifully you have decorated your house, if your lawn is not beautiful then all your efforts will be useless. It is very important to take care of your lawn because, as it is said, “the first impression is the last impression”. For most people, lawn care is a very tedious task. Most people don’t have the time or energy to spend hours in th

Hidden Dog Fence – Perfect Dog Containment Solution Does your dog refuse to listen to you? Are you tired of telling your dog to not go outside the confines of your house? Does chaining or locking up your dog makes you feel guilty? Is your dog ruining the interior of your house because you cannot let him go in the yard because you are afraid to let him out? Then stop worrying! The perfect solution for all these problems is here. There is a pet co

Debt Settlement: Your Bankruptcy Alternative? There are several different paths you can travel to achieve effective credit card debt reduction and pursue living a debt free life. The method which will be covered here is called debt settlement, and there are numerous debt settlement services to choose from if you determine this is the “debt recovery path” you are going to take. Credit card debt settlement is a credit card debt reduction solu

Los Angeles Brain Injury Lawyers Assist California Motorcycle Accidents Victims Last year over 6,686,147 motorcycles were registered within the United States and the number of registrants has been steadily increasing by at least 7% each year since 2003 according to the NHTSA. Consequently the NHTSA also reported that nation wide last year there were 103,000 motorcycle injuries that did not result in a fatality and California has the second highest motorcycle fatality rate in

Christian Debt Relief: What Are Your Options? Unfortunately, with the downturn in the U.S. economy, credit card debt problems have become one of the biggest challenges facing Christians and their families as they strive to have a healthy financial future. Credit card debt is crippling not just Christians, but all Americans, regardless of faith or race or gender. The good news is that there are Christian debt relief solutions available that c

Christian Alternatives to Bankruptcy – Consider Christian Debt Settlement The recent recession in the U.S. economy has created both employment and financial challenges for Americans and Christian families alike. Credit card debt problems will no doubt reach an all time high as unemployment rates continue to rise. Christians face the reality that filing bankruptcy may be their “only way out”, but that is not necessarily the only workable solution that may be available.

California Brain Injury Lawyers Experienced in Auto Accidents California is one of the most populated states and is known for its traffic congestion. The number of California auto accidents can be daunting. The NHTSA reported that there were 5,987,000 non fatal accidents in 2007; 2,491,000 of those car accidents resulted in injury. The Brain Injury Association estimates that 62 % of all transportation related Brain Injuries occur in an enclosed motor veh

Why Should I Hire a Seattle Real Estate Attorney? In every real estate transaction there are a wide variety of legal issues that must be taken care of. Contracts should always be reviewed by an attorney who understands the nuances of real estate law. But there are also state specific State laws to contend with. A Seattle real estate lawyer deals with a large number of State legal issues related to acquiring, financing, developing, managing, co

California IT Professionals – In Need of California Class Action Attorneys! It is hard to miss the wave of California wage and hour litigation related to California IT professionals and Computer employee overtime that has been sweeping California recently. Even the largest software and computer companies have paid out millions of dollars to employees wrongfully classified as “exempt”, or in other words, not entitled to overtime. A layperson would believe that with pr

Protect Your Mental Health With A Payday Loan Just when you thought that things couldn’t get any worse, more banks went under. More countries are declaring economic crisis. It seems that the world’s financial problems are bound to get worse. Even if you do not have considerable investments in various banks, I am sure that you are feeling the stress that results from these economic upheavals. I sure am. I am just an average person, with a

Free Bulk SMS services People are getting very busy these days without having enough time to talk unless it is very important. Mobile SMS have supported this need to contemporary times as now people do not want to call and enter in the unproductive conversation before coming up to the actual issue. SMS provides you the benefit to come straight to the point and also saves money. What if you get this totally free?

HELP – I Have IRS Levy Problems! If IRS collection notices are ignored, the IRS is forced to collect from taxpayers by force. They do this with their dreaded IRS levy. By law, the IRS has the right to levy bank accounts (IRS bank levy), garnish your paychecks (IRS wage levy), or even seize your assets. But you do not have to let the IRS bully you or your family. There are ways to stop an IRS levy. The first step is to know the

Why Use Professional Tax Debt Help? Good IRS tax relief is hard to find and for people with complicated tax issues, it is an absolute necessity. But how do you know which tax reduction firm is the best one to try? How can you be sure you're going to get the tax debt help that you need? And why is it so vital to receive help from professionals? Settling Your IRS Tax Debt For Less When your IRS tax debt is spiraling out

IRS Settlement – Can You Really Settle Your IRS Tax Debt for Less? It's possible to settle your IRS tax debt, but it presents a challenge. Proving you can settle your tax debt for less is a daunting experience. You have to contend with pages of IRS paperwork rife with technical terms. Settling tax debt is indeed a reality and it can be done. However, there's a lot you need to know before you attempt to settle your IRS tax debt. Rebuking the Lies - The

IRS Tax Relief – The Most Popular IRS Tax Relief Solutions Tax law provides many solutions for resolving tax debt. But if you were to contact the IRS directly, they would only alert you to one solution, and that's paying the tax debt in full. Here are five popular IRS tax relief solutions you should know about to be more informed. IRS Tax Settlement It is possible to settle your IRS tax debt. But there are some pitfalls you need to know. Fi

Hire the California Labor Board or California Labor Law Attorneys - You Decide With a downturn in the economy, many employers are cutting back on payroll. Unfortunately, some employers are reducing payroll costs by violating the California overtime laws. When this occurs, employees have essentially two options to recover their California overtime pay: the California labor board, or hiring California labor law attorneys. Although the California Labor Board is a commonly