Marvin Tries to Dream

[Angela]

Marvin held the gun in his open palm for what seemed like a very long time.  He felt it getting cooler and saw the shadows of the trees reach their stopping place as the sun sank down.  He felt idiotic for not bringing a flashlight, and as he sat there, unmoving against the bark of the tree, he felt the wind of a large bird press suddenly down upon him, sensing the creature perched directly above him on a limb.  The bird gave a sudden call, and he heard it flap, and again felt its wind as it took off for another part of the forest.  The moon was full. He laid down in the stand and drifted near to sleep with the gun resting next to his head, shivering a little in the silver light.

[Mike Handley]

You might not have spent time in a treestand, Angela, but your writing doesn't reveal it. Whenever birds, particularly owls and hawks, come to share my space, it's almost spiritual. They're so quiet. You don't hear them coming. I think you would like it.

@T: Girl, you MUST see "Brokeback Mountain." MUST. It's not gay porn. There are no penises, It's a love story that you'll never forget.

[Stephen Torelli]

Well, I'm glad he didn't do it and maybe if he tries hard enough he'll dream up something to wash his blues away.

[Angela]

Hi G - From Wal Mart.  Looks like it has anchors that could secure it to the trunk of a tree. But there are plenty of do-it-yourself plans for such.  A friend of mine has a virtual tree house with a blind and outdoor seating for two.  He goes up in it to escape from his wife.  I know this because he told me, not because I was there.  This one is cold and metallic, and I think more suited to Marvin's state of mind.  Besides, I kind of like the Frankenstein aspect of this one.

Ameristep Vantage Point Quad Pod Tree Stand  $256.54

[Kay Sera]

I hope the next chapter of Marvin's life comes quickly because I can't handle the suspense! Not that I want him to rush into a decision, one way or the other. I'm just a greedy reader who wants to know.

[Gita]

I am wondering what kind of stand Marvin is in that allows him to lie down. I wonder what kind of bird it is -- a wild turkey or large owl, perhaps, that creates enough wind. Then I realize that I am focusing on details because the thought of impending suicide is too dark for me to accept as a possibility.

As everyone says, the story is haunting. And the fact that people cannot be with the ones they love due to gender is a  salad spinner of shit, to paraphrase Shauna.

 

 

[Teresa]

I never saw Brokeback (sp?) Mountain but I've wanted to (remember who I live with...).   As I sat here wondering what Marvin and Frank privately think about each other, about their time together, I wished I could hear these thoughts.  Because it is forbidden their love is more intense, profound, or at least weighted with grief and shame because they present themselves to the world as straight, are married to the opposite sex.  But I would love to hear their thoughts about why they must remain in their marriages, how it feels to both love someone they can't be with and hide their true sexual orientation (bisexual or predominantly gay).  These emotions are so complex and rich and I guess that's why I want to savor them.  I suppose I would have seen them played out in Brokeback.  It makes me sad to see anyone genuinely (if they are) in love and unable to be with that person.  It makes me twice as sad when a person is trapped in a role they weren't meant to play.  And I'm not ready for Marvin to move on. 

[Bill Floyd]

Are suicides allowed to keep dreaming?  Or do they disqualify themselves from that possibility?  I hope and pray they do not.  These sentences are beautiful and lucid, and this seems like a place where Marvin would want to come back to Life.  

[Ron. Lavalette]

We're all shivering in that same pale moonlight, eh.  But not like Marvin, no.

[Toby Tucker Hecht]

Marvin needs a friend--badly.

[Robert Crisman]

We're all on the next limb over, waiting to see what Marvin's going to do. I can feel his sweat as it chills in the dark. You kick ass, girl!