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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Saturday, July 21, 2018

more...Ballad of Johnny Mesabi


…more from the continuing
Ballad of Johnny Mesabi*

On the path of least resistance
Smooth downhill takes less persistence
Johnny soon knew his life’s station
Was to be one of pre-occupation

Johnny Mesabi stayed out of his war
Began to knock on perception’s door
Giggled in 3-D saw the bones of his wrist
Tumble into place as he gave it a twist

Johnny Mesabi hard alloy of iron
Forged in that cold steel environ
A skillfully crafted durable tool
Educated to shape a facet of our jewel

Inefficiently he read really good books
(How appetizing really good food looks)
Devised lessons in creative exploration
Tasty dishes of linguistic sensation

a series from journals 2001-2005
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