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!

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Human Comedy continued

 

from this week in April, 1996  (I was 51)

 

         Human Comedy continued

Is no cookies raisins in, said the grocer looking older

than he was.  Good I said, I hate raisins

and he smiled at me.  In fact I continued

I don’t particularly like cookies.  I will

eat one occasionally to enhance the strength of coffee.

This last allowed him to resume his more familiar

demeanor with lips closed in a slight pout indicating

he had nothing more to say.  He wiped his hands

on his blood stained apron as if to accept a guilt

that did not exist.  I bought dark rye bread

opened it as I paid for it and ate a slice dry

He handed me my change without a thank you

and I left without saying goodbye.  I love

transactions like that.  Good bread too.

Communion.

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