Paradise

It happens everywhere. You don’t have to escape or go anywhere. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then let’s go to a perfect night. The air is sweet, not altogether wet with rain or mist but ready, moist and humid. It haunts the senses on the other side of a doorway or a…

Old Flame ii

What happened to you? The black horn rimmed glasses, the formless striped pullover, the wedding ring I would have thought you’d wear, the weight I see you’ve gained beneath your fidgeting fingers, what happened to you? Why didn’t you tell me? I would have cared. It would have made a difference, because I do, still…

The Amateurs

It isn’t so much they’ve gerrymandered districts so no one they don’t like can get elected. It isn’t so much they’re willing to indebt taxpayers to insure corporate profitability, and It isn’t so much they’re willing to invalidate or eradicate laws made by the people to protect the people or amend the law to defeat…

Song to the Moon

Why will you not come to me. My longing is so great. Does no one hear in this world or in the beyond? What hollow need is left for me to stroke within my soul? What troubled thoughts lie uncomforted? It is not right of You, oh God of love to be so thoughtless in…

Maori

There is a legend. it is not of the Bible, yet it is Scriptural. It is told, not written, yet I write it now. There needs to be such stories. Listen. In the old days or perhaps they were young and ours are old, a people set out by canoe from their land New Zealand.…

Polishing The Rust

“Do not forsake me, oh my darling.” He sang as he worked. “On this our wedding day.” He polished his truck. “Do not forsake me, oh my darling.” His pickup truck. “Wait. Wait along.” He made love to her on the hood of this pickup truck. “I do not know what fate awaits me.” He…

Where Uncle Sam Is Buried

I went to a meeting. They read a letter. A member of the club went to the American Cemetery outside Manila to find the grave of his uncle. They found the grave and wrote a letter addressed to the club. It told of a twenty-three year old soldier in World War Two, captured on the…

Road Kill

It’s war. The crew stood there with their shovels and rakes and the big guy walked up to the foreman and the foreman spoke first. “What’s up?” “That,” said the big guy. He pointed to a dead deer on the side of the road they were building, on the other side of a concrete barrier…

Authenticity

It isn’t for everyone. Some people spend lots of money and it isn’t for sale. In fact, you get it when you can’t afford it and walk away. That starts the process, the long, slow grind of authenticity. When you come back with the money and you still can’t afford it because the price has…

The War Party

“What does it stand for?” a woman asked. “It sounds aggressive.” “It is aggressive,” I replied. “It stands for agression against those who started this war.” ♠ The War Party believes all public elections should be conducted by paper ballot only, whether at the polls, or absentee by surface mail. Electronic intrusion in the election process…