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!

Monday, January 10, 2022

I remember looking out at the night

 

from this week of 2021 (I was 76)

 

I remember looking out at the night

in the snow

Or was it looking out at the snow

in the night

Whichever it was it certainly was

black and white

 

I remember how icy cold it was

on the breath and clean

A pitch dark purity it was

solidified at zero

A stone in the center of the chest

pulling on planet Pluto

 

I remember how of a piece it was

me in the middle of

the here and there of when and was

inhaling the dark of space

to puff out a luminous cloud

a certain swirl of grace

No comments:

Post a Comment