Marvin Gaye — urban landscape.

Last Sunday, Easter morning — the Rose of Sharon bush in my front yard was magically and thankfully very different. I had thought it was dead. Worried that the weed killer Herman put around the base so the pine needles Barbara gave me could cover the ground during the winter had killed her. But no, she was not dead. Overnight and unexpectedly she stretched, yawned, and sprouted tiny green buds. Also overnight or at least it seemed that way to me Wisteria exploded with the wild abandon of Coonhound puppies frolicking in Monkey Grass. Grand unabashedly romantic lavender cascades. Everywhere. Soft but oh so very fierce bursts of undeniable poetry in this urban landscape. At the not so historic end of Wesley Heights, north of Uptown Charlotte. Fort Apache Five Points Fire Station on Wesley Heights Way and Walnut. My friends, the Firemen. Jesus Saves building next door, reaching to the corner of Wesley Heights Way and Duckworth. Tuckaseegee Road three blocks down, the extension of the street where I live.

I'd been thinking a lot about the miracle of Wisteria that week after Easter. And then on Friday I started thinking about Marvin Gaye. Cranked the CD all the way up as I drove to Pineville and then back to Charlotte from Best Friends, after leaving EMILY in the uber capable and compassionate hands of the staff there. These guys give new meaning to the words customer service. Props to Julie and Kyrsten on running a top notch boarding facility and day camp. And for helping the rescue community in ways that go way above and beyond. I headed back to Nicole Pennell's Dogtopia — Nicole very generously provided a week of safe haven and much needed rest and sunlight in the spa room to NASHOBA, whose neuter surgery went a tad askew. (Dogtopia had their grand opening party on Saturday. Couldn't be there as FAMILY TAP was at 300 East, but word on the street is high fives.)

Driving back to Charlotte as day ended and night began I said thank you to Grandmother Earth and Grandfather Sky for putting music on this earth. As I hit I-77 North to get back to Dogtopia and then home What's Going On seemed real appropriate. We miss you Marvin, but you are still here with us. Just like Edna.
What's Going On
Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today
Father, father
We don't need to escalate
War is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate
You know you've got to find a way
To bring some understanding yeah today
Aw, picket lines, picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality
Talk to me so you can see
Oh what's going on,
Tell me what's going on
Mother, mother
Ev'ry body thinks we're wrong
Baby who are they to judge us
'Cause our hair is long
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some understanding here today
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