Shine On You Crazy Diamond

Even when clouds cover the sky, the sun continues to shine. Even when clouds cover the sky, the sun continues to shine… *********** In participation with:  http://viewfromtheside.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/weekend-theme-103/

Thank You…

This is a repost in honor of this 9th anniversary. Miss you, Dad… Cancer. The big ‘C’. With a daunting record across all weight divisions, truly an often overwhelming opponent. One of Mother Nature’s greatest bastard son champions, as she reacts to maintain equilibrium. His success due to his distinct lack of the speed and flash of […]

Chameleon

He didn’t care what the rough brick was doing to his refined suit (though he couldn’t resist considering it) as he leaned against the back wall with his drink. He was just happy the sound in his ears was now coming from this Jamie Slater Trio he had been hearing about. The fluid, cerebral, funky bopping was […]

Anticipation

Closing his eyes in the darkness, the sound and vibration of the C-47 in its rapid decent reminded him of the row crop tractor they had finally been able to afford when he was a young teenager. With this many nervous men packed into heavy machinery, the smell was getting familiar too. He pondered, in […]

Dazed and Confused

I’ll never forget the first time I met Tony. It was the summer of ’79 or ’80, a transition time. He was standing on a dock over the Stono River at the house my brother was renting, just down the street from our own nice middle-class house in a nice middle-class neighborhood, in a beautiful […]

Calling All Freaks

This is the hardest one to write so far. I’ve always tried to just say what I feel here, so I’m going to do my best to do just that and yet steer clear of anything that might in any way involve someone I very much respect and care deeply for beyond their comfort and […]

Land Snark

Snark. The fuel that is propelling our current American culture. Land of the Free, protected by a shallow moat of snark infested waters. It’s the new capital in capitalism. Want to be King Rat of the rat race? Snark is your bait cheese of choice. Want to be involved in the governance of this fine […]

Plastic Pastoral

I am in love with this picture. I really am. I’m giggling right now as I type. Every time I see it, I at least smile. Which is a propos to its origins into my little world. As many of you that know me on the ol’ Facebook are aware, I post a couple of […]

Just a Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down

Let’s just be straight about this: It’s all bullshit. Well, not really IT. IT is what IT is. I’m talking about your notions and versions of what it all is. Your -isms. Your pretty little encompassing boxes with colorful, thematic wrapping and maybe a nice bow or some other appealing accessories to make it presentable, […]

Blue…

Blue. I know her well. No, she knows me well. She has been with me from the beginning. She has loved me from the start. She taught me to feel. How the taste is so bittersweet. I did not know she was Blue then. She was just pervasively there. There was no distinction to be […]

de colours

It has been a while. I missed writing. Something. Anything. The data dumping download seemed to be a healthy purge for me. Especially when I’d go back and read it later with some modicum of objectivity. So I figured I would just start writing again and spit something out to get going. Prime the pump, take a few […]

For the Record…

You probably won’t read this until you’re older. Hell, you probably shouldn’t read most of this until you’re older. But when you do, I want you to know how proud I am of you. How grateful I am to get to be your Dad. Here you are graduating 5th grade, and Grade School in general. […]

Thank You…

Cancer. The big ‘C’. With a daunting record across all weight divisions, truly an often overwhelming opponent. One of Mother Nature’s greatest bastard son champions, as she reacts to maintain equilibrium. His success due to his distinct lack of the speed and flash of his more glorified brothers and sisters. No, he is more quietly methodical. Insidiously […]

Mad Season

I’m sorry. Let’s just get that out, right up front. I hereby formally apologize for anything I may say or do, now or in the near future. It’s April. And it’s my Mad Season. It starts with today, naturally. April Fools’ Day. My birthday. Really. Fitting, isn’t it? Sharpen’s the picture somewhat, yes? You think […]

Adventures in Group Therapy

I went into that first Narcotics Anonymous meeting like I’ve gone into so many things: wide-eyed and daunted. One of the reasons I had picked this group, beyond the proximity to the homestead, was the size of the group. More people meant more anonymity.  ”Nothing to see here, folks. Let’s keep moving…” My reason for being […]

Black Hills & Badlands

John suddenly paused as he approached his rig from across the expansive parking lot. Something his body did without waiting for his brain to request it. His brain was more occupied with making sure he got to the truck with two six-packs, two chili dogs, and two packs of cigarettes still in balance. He caught […]

“Hey, Man. You Guys Know ‘Free Bird’?”

There you are. Up on stage. Cheap par can lights with color gels duct-taped over them are heating the side of your face from an intimate distance. The atmosphere a southerly stew of stale beer, cigarette smoke, hair-spray, and “Yeee-eeee-eeew!” You’ve made it through the first little three-rock-block of cover tunes to open your set […]

Puddle of Mud

Something happened on the way, beginning to write a blog. Recently beginning to write, period. After a spell, it dawned on me I didn’t really want to write about me, I wanted to write about us. Sure, I will use myself as the subject or protagonist, perhaps more often than not; but normally as a cautionary tale. […]

The Ballad of Dorothy James

I actually had a last-minute idea I was going to write about this weekend, but then I saw this and wanted to post it for posterity. And maybe show off a little… I am proud to say this is a piece written about my kicking, 95 year old, paternal grandmother by a pastor (Or is it minister? No disrespect […]

Three…

I remember waking up and not really knowing where I was. Seeing the square grid of the overhead bunk’s undercarriage wasn’t helping much. The snoring in a corner of the metallic cave gave a clue… Oh…yeah… …any minute now a mostly hairless Smokey the Bear (hat, and all) was going to burst into these old barracks at the […]