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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Monday, February 24, 2020

from The Litanies of Mistrust


February 24, 2008  (I was 63)

         from The Litanies of Mistrust
Never Trust:
a teacher who doesn’t read
a teacher who got straight A’s in high school
a teacher who needs a plus or minus to distinguish a grade
a teacher who knows the date by the text page he’s on
a teacher who can’t return assignments within two days
a teacher hired in September
Never Trust:
a teacher who doesn’t love his subject
a teacher who loves his religion more than his subject
a teacher who’s subject is his religion
a teacher who nominates himself for an award
a teacher who’d rather fund raise than teach
a teacher who measures success only in test scores
Never Trust:
a teacher who can’t tell a joke
a teacher who can’t talk with his hands
a teacher who can’t climb a tree
a teacher who can’t tap dance
a teacher who never pisses off the principal
a teacher who wants to be superintendent
Never Trust:
a teacher with shiny shoes
a teacher who orders all the condiments on the side
a teacher to split the check without itemizing
a teacher who denies his family and concedes to a bad contract
a teacher who thinks he doesn’t need a union
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