The sound of a vehicle door closing woke me. It was dark out but the faint preview of predawn light was detectable. I heard an engine start and rolled over in bed to peek out the window even though I knew exactly who the vehicle belonged to. It was my next door neighbor Cal who […]
For Some Reasons
Took a walk around town this morning. Didn’t have a particular direction in mind, just started walking and let something else take over. I always wonder what the something else is but I can never articulate it. I can detect it though, at least I think I can. It can be noticed like the way […]
Old Rugged Cross
“Hey Walt, check this out.” Marco was rummaging around in a shopping cart. Both men had moved from their place in the sunny Sheetz parking lot nearby to their shaded secondary location behind the Exxon. Marco help up some tactical body armor and modeled it like someone who holds a shirt in front of them […]
Saudade Salute
Went to a nearby bar the other night to watch a few innings of the Phillies. Double header against the White Sox. The bar was mostly empty, which is the way I like it. It was trivia night. The categories were music, TV shows, and movies from the last several decades. I don’t usually play […]
Burkey
This guy my dad knew from the neighborhood growing up used to stop by our house sometimes. I remember getting that knock on the door, often on Sundays after Mass. It would be Burkey, looking for food or money. I don’t know how he found out where we lived. He would walk over from somewhere […]
And May God’s Most Gangster Angels Protect You
I went to a nearby park after work one morning, right next to the Delaware River. There’s a marina there and various memorials to past wars and events of local significance. Something important once happened here or nearby, but now a homeless person is using the stone ledge as a shelf for their interesting assortment […]
Catch One Catch All
Our lungs burned from running so fast Legs became tired, wooden and heavy Tearing through backyards and jumping fences Living life without a thought for the future Who’s at the courts, who’s at the school Who’s out today What will we play Summer felt all year long Jailbreak, whiffleball, catch one catch all Didn’t know […]
Midwestern Darkness
The hot noonday sun beat down upon his face, causing sweat to start beading upon his brow. His eyes were slats in his weathered face; creased, wrinkled, scarred, and defiant. His gaze roamed around aimlessly and drifted upward to the sky, where he gave a start and froze. The sky was crowned with triple strand […]
Longing
The tailgate dropped with a creak and a slam, the cables that held it going taut. There were a few dents and the paint was starting to peel in certain places. Deeper in the bed was worse. Probably should have used a bed liner, but it was too late now. There were no other vehicles […]