Doodling Leslie Geddes

Riding The Washington, D.C. Metro

A Survivor's Poem - If I Were To Die Today

(a poem in progress by Wentworth;

inspired by "My Agent" by R.S. Gwynn)

If I Were To Die Today -

If I were to die today, three days from today my receptionist would ask:

"where's Wentworth, anyway today?"

The police would arrive and say,
"Looks like another body today."

The EMS would say, "it stinks his having been
left rotting away."

The morgue would ask,
"Who's his next of kin, by-the-way?"

My Mom would say,
"I'd hoped to sleep in today."

My Dad would say,
"I'll greet him at the Pearly Gates today."

His second wife would say,
"Sweet revenge came my way."

My Grandad would say,
"I never much liked him, okay?"

My GrandPops would say,
"Let's do an accounting before we pray."

My sister would say,
"This really isn't convenient today."

My other one would say,
"He was an okay guy, anyway."

My ex would say,
"Break out the Champagne, today."

Her girlfriend would say,
"Hip Hip Hooray!"

Her best friend would say,
"Let's party today."

My neighbor would say,
"Can I grab his swag today?"

My boss would say,
"Who's next for a window office, today?"

My colleague would say,
"I'd like his chair, anyway."

My broker would say,
"Someone's got a nice payday today."

My personnel officer would say,
"He's saved Uncle Sam money, by the way."

My abuser would say,
"Me and Lucifer set him up that day."

My Dalai Lama would say,
"Life's all emptiness, anyway."

My God would say,
"Try to justify how you lost your way today."

--

But I haven't died yet.

So, I've got another day, today.

Deep Thoughts Attachment

More books. Books have come to dominate my life. I love coming home and having a wonderful book to read. But having them as possessions is a burden to move, to store. Thus, I've been savagely culling them down. I still have lots more.

Code Name: Leslie Geddes Panel #4

Agent Geddes0 appraised the
walk-in with a critical eye.
Bald, bespeckled, cargo shorts,
t-shirt, Birkenstocks. “Scrad!”
she thought to herself. “Vintage
1960s? Net worth, unknown. But
a dope, definitely.” She had an eye
for dopes and this one was just
what she was looking for. “Helloooo,”
agent Geddes0 cooed. “Welcome to
the gallery.”

Code Name: Leslie Geddes Panel #3

He opened the door. He walked in. And, just then, a ray of light shone through, sanctifying her face. And there she was, like Joan of Arc. A Savior. His Savior. He loved her.

Code Name: Leslie Geddes Panel #2

Agent GeddesO contemplated her next move while seated in the window of her Contemporary Art Gallery in Washington, D.C.. Little did she know that the fickle hand of fate had already played its hand...

Code Name: Leslie Geddes Panel #1

Her code name is Geddes. Leslie Geddes. AKA Geddes0. The "zero" means expendable. That's how Langley classifies all of their Super Assassins. Her cover has been set: Art Gallery Director, Washington, D.C. But, she still has one more piece to complete: Where to find a real dope...?

Autumn Francois as by Gerhard Richter

The Fabulous Autumn Francois 
as by Gerhard Richter

Autumn Francois as by Robert Crumb

The Fabulous Autumn Francois
as by Robert Crumb

Autumn Francois as by Harold Gray

The fabulous Autumn Francois
as by Harold Gray

Autumn Francois as by Daniel Clowes

The simply fabulous Autumn Francois as by Daniel Clowes

Saint Alice of Riener

According to Gabriele Paolo, whom I interviewed as part of my  dissertation research, Saint Alice of Riener is the eleventh shadow saint of the Vatican and, for astrological reasons associated with the month of November.


One other reason she is associated with November is that this puts her closest to Saint Leslie Ann of Geddes.


They were best friends and at least on a platonic level they were lovers (Paolo cautioned that this is controversial and should be viewed in the cultural context of the 1400s, when they lived)


As part of my dissertation research into the use of ancient inks in medieval times for espionage, I also came across an intriguing chapter in the book Monks, Popes and Their Political Intrigues, Volume II, by John Alberger, 1872. 


Alberger writes one tantalizing chapter on "Saint Alice Riener" aka Aleydis de Rainer, France, who was a distant cousin of Joan d' Arc. 


His chapter is only four pages long, and one page is torn out of the book, but gives a fascinating and little known (to me) story of Saint Aleydis de Rainer. 


Joan wore around her neck a cross which she believed gave her the power of prophecy. 


Knowing that she was to be captured, she gave it to her cousin Aleydis who was to carry on her struggle for France's freedom.
--
For reasons that aren't clear, Saint Aleydis determined to set sail for Scotland, where she met and fell in love with Saint Leslie Ann of Geddes (of the Church of Scotland). 


Alberger writes that they subsequently murdered a Sir Thomas Wentworth - or at least that was the accusation of Rome which branded them both heretics and excommunicated them (and the inspiration for the Gentileschi painting owned by Buckingham Palace). 


Yet, Alberger claims that the story of the murder was propaganda and subterfuge by the subversive elements within the Vatican which were seeking to discredit the pope's decision to canonize these living saints. 


While these forces ostensibly won out, according to Alberger the true consequence is that the Vatican maintains a list a shadow saints of which Saint Leslie Ann of Geddes and Saint Aleydis de Rainer (aka Alyce de Riener) are two.
--
And this is where his story ends due to the missing page in Alberger's book. 


I haven't tracked down another copy. 


One additional mystery; while I was at the House of Windsor Archives researching Saint Leslie Ann of Geddes (who I've written about in another entry), I saw a notation to a "Saint Alice Riener" on a prayer parchment inserted in a Windsor family bible. 


I didn't pay any thought to that at the time but after I read Alberger's chapter I realized that "Aleydis" is an early version of "Alice" and "Alyce" and "Rainer" is an early form of "Riener". 


Thus, I guess that Alice, Alyce and Aleydis are the same saints from Riener, France, just with different spellings.
--
I have written to the custodian of the Windsor Archives to return to continue my research but learned he fell out of a window to his death from some hotel party in Dubai. 


I'm trying to find a new contact but have not had my request for a research permit renewed, with the explanation there are budget cutbacks. 


I will be traveling to Switzerland for further research the matter (where I understand from a colleague there are relevant documents he located) but at this point this is all I know. 


BTW, the above drawing is based on a sketch in Alberger's book with the notation: "A trve rendering of the French Saint Alyce Riener". 


I believe he meant "Alyce de Riener"; I'm not sure where his sketch came from or who drew it.