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 21, 2020

…more from the Ballad of Johnny Mesabi

July 21

 

…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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