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!

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

minimalanimal

 

October 6, 1977*  (I was 32)  

 

               minimalanimal

 

                  matter

lowest                                     

                  cell                     

scarce           

                                    being                    

               least            

                                    entity 

          simple            

                                    creature        

          rudimentary                                     

                                    beast          

              restricted                         

                                    varmint                          

                    petty            

                                    predator                     

 minor              

                                    fauna          

         conservative             

                                    denizen                     

                  minute           

                                    barbarian                     

        reduced

                                    brute           

              miniature           

                                    stock               

           exact                                    

                           circumstance        

         precise                          

                                    image            

         humble

 

* Hear me read this piece (and others) at JohnKallio.com  Click the Audio button

*re-composed for a chapbook, Copyright 2010:

minimalanimal and THE POETRY OF URGENCY

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