An aqua monarch dines on fish -
when featured fresh, his favorite dish.
He makes a dive to catch them live
and thus fulfills his belly's wish.

So near the sea the fishers thrive,
admidst sea rushes, kelp and chives.
Aloft in air, without a care,
they fetch fresh tuna for their wives.

But still, their lives are far from fair -
they have to build their houses there;
but come the dawn, the house is gone!
There's no good place to place their lair.

'Twixt air and sea a helpless pawn;
there's nothing sure to build it on.
It tips amiss with every swish,
the nest of hapless Halcyon.

Located at 227 Smith Street in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY - Halcyon is the hippest coffeeshop you'll ever get the opportunity to see.

So a few months back there's me and yossarian and ideath prancing about my neighborhood... I'm recommending a beer at my neighborhood pub, but that doesn't sit well with the other two, so coffee is proposed.

Now, this is relatively late at night. Close to midnight. You might think New York is the city that never sleeps, but let me tell you - Carroll Gardens sleeps hard and fast. If it's past 11:30 or so - the only thing open is the bars. You're nearest options are to walk to the McDonalds in Red Hook, or an all night deli in Cobble Hill. Neither of these places is all that far - Carroll Gardens is itty-bitty when compared to say, the Upper West Side or Cleveland - but it's out of the neighborhood, and that doesn't always cross my mind...

But I say, "Hell, we can always walk up Smith Street and see what happens..." And they agree.

Now about 6 blocks into the walk, Yossarian suddenly brightens up. He does this thing with his face and eyes that looks like revelation.

"Oh wait," he says, "I've been here before - there's a coffeeshop where a friend of mine spins right down the road!"

This is one of those things that only happens in New York, by the way.

And he tells me the name (Halcyon), and the name is familiar, but I had no idea what I was in store for.

I'd walked by Halcyon more than a few times - I always thought it was a bar, and I always thought it was waaaay too hip for the likes of me. And if it wasn't a bar, I was very skeptical it would be open this late.

But guess what: it ain't a bar, and not only was it open, it was hopping.

I think Halcyon is the only place I've watched retro-raver-stlyin' kids grovin about with a double mocha in one hand. Vinyl couches and muted glass lamps abound. Indeed, someone was spinning, but it wasn't Yossarian's friend. There's a record store towards the back, and everything inside is for sale - furniture and all.

...And the tunes were good.

Even more to my surprise was the back porch - smoker friendly and with even more furniture for sale, including a couch I fell in love with - but had unfortunately been ruined by the elements. So there we were, and there it is.

Worth a visit.

All of the above, and a class of space-faring large warships, probably cruiser/destroyers in Bungie's FPS Halo. The one and only known Halcyon-class ship is the Pillar of Autumn, under the command of Capt. Jacob Keyes.

Not all too much is known about its equipment, but from what we know,
* it houses a whole lot of Marines (probably above a thousand)
* it has a four-rod nuclear (probably fusion) reactor
* it has an incredibly powerful AI called Cortana, but an immensely and unusually small bridge (one captain, 3 helmsmen, 3 navigators, 4 other personnel)
* it has a cryo facility
* oh, and it has a bay loaded with 4 Pelicans (dropships), one of them called Foe-Hammer.

Hal"cy*on (?), n. [L. halcyon, alcyon, Gr.: F. halcyon.] Zool.

A kingfisher. By modern ornithologists restricted to a genus including a limited number of species having omnivorous habits, as the sacred kingfisher (Halcyon sancta) of Australia.

Amidst our arms as quiet you shall be As halcyons brooding on a winter sea. Dryden.

 

© Webster 1913.


Hal"cy*on, a.

1.

Pertaining to, or resembling, the halcyon, which was anciently said to lay her eggs in nests on or near the sea during the calm weather about the winter solstice.

2.

Hence: Calm; quiet; peaceful; undisturbed; happy.

"Deep, halcyon repose."

De Quincy.

 

© Webster 1913.

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