I don’t write in a journal everyday, but I have accumulated many entries over the past 50+ years beginning in 1966. Some items evolved into longer works. Among the leftovers little pieces survived. I thought a collection of these with a piece culled from the same date in a past year would make an interesting yearbook. The consistencies and inconsistencies of mind, skipping back and forth across time, provide varied perspectives. It is difficult to remember the context of the past we’ve lived; we also make suppositions about times that predate ourselves.

The few alterations from original drafts were to improve clarity. The worst of my work is not included. There remains enough mediocrity and immaturity to make me feel humble and you feel smart. There are also moments of accidental insight and incidental humor.

Author Stephen Crane referred to his little pieces as pills…apparently they were small and somewhat hard to swallow, but good for you.


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Tuesday, July 26, 2016

…from the continuing Ballad of Johnny Mesabi


…from the continuing
Ballad of Johnny Mesabi*

Johnny irresponsibly chose responsibility
When all he’d studied was tranquility
Johnny Mesabi suspected who he was
Played his instinct against his flaws

Johnny Mesabi dreamer without direction
Lost his grip on the family connection
What you’re born to is only tenuous
Holding together can be too strenuous

If at first you don’t succeed…
Working Johnny a man in need
Tried again to stumble through the dance
Took more’n luck to get another chance

Character actor of professional polish
Continuing roles but somewhat smallish
Played teachers and fathers in retakes
And bothered to feature new mistakes

*a series from journals 2001-2005
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