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.


Comments Welcome!

Sunday, May 12, 2019

A little girl approximately


May 12, 1966  (I was 21)

  A  little  girl  approximately
eleven with freckles and dangling
blond hair and round Keane eyes
      followed the spasmodic
         downward dashings
            of a silver pellet 
                  pinball
                       o
            Lights flashed
        springs thunked and
       bells bink bink binked
         a barrage of points
    Her fingers with bitten nails
snapped flippers and stabbed flippers
      flaunting a professional flair
With big girl ferocity banged the glass
bumper gunch and didn't jump joyously
    when the ball plunked down
                  SPECIAL 
                       O
                  WHEN LIT
She just pushed the reset to begin
the reverse score calculation spin &
flipped her hair in arrogant satisfaction
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