These are the thoughts of a Texas transplant in West Michigan who makes his living as a newspaper reporter by evening, and a struggling novelist by day.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

walking companions

asleep for many months,
today i noticed my walking companions awaking,
giving silent yawns andstretches, still bent in the middle,
still attempting to straighten out those bodies.

your blanket kept you tucked away
through rough january and brutal february,
yet you crave those months and more,
without them you'll never grow.

i see you peeking out at me as i walk by,
you give a wink and a careless wave as a breeze blows through,
fickle friends, you wait for more than me --
and that you'll get in weeks' time.

oh, walking companions, i've longed for you,
keep me wandering as i move by,
why do you accompany me for so short a time?

i ache to see your lovely heads bob,
but only time will tell,
for now, walking companions,
i'll settle for your presence before the show.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

we ain't right and we're fixin to get worser

my little break is over, five work days and two weekends slipped away into a cool memory of existence.

i've been busy the past week, perhaps thebusiest i've been in awhile outside of work. and we left the hosue only a handful of times, mostly smallish trips to graba meal and then back home.

while dawn kept busy upstairs and ebaying, i read and wrote. i finished two books and started a third (after tonight, i'll be halfway through that one, too). i edited "la troca" and was pleased with its esults. then i tackled "bonita" and it appears if things go my way i'll finish the edits on this more than 10-year-old behemoth that's been the bane of my writing existence since those long ago days of college. i'm very pleased with the way it's going there. i've got my next project ready to go and then another after that. possibly more. i'd say thanks to "oscar wao" and mig and his story. between the two, something clicked that hadn't before. the sleeping giantawoke. ha ha

movies were popped into the dvd and vcr. i rented season 7 of the x-filed and we're riding that storm of pleasure.

we saw few people the entire week. i barely even talked to many friends. but thursday night we managed to play our first match in awhile and it was good. we had a few missing, obviously, but it was enjoyable.

we took care of the back yard, raking leaves, putting twigs and dead leaves in a big pile by the curb, started a compost pile in a corner of the yard that we hope will produce some nice, fresh soil.

and as the week wound down, denise came back to town and after a lead-in meal with her and her kiddies, we were of to saugatuck last night with her and mig. despite the cold, damp weather, there are things happening in that little town. we ended up at phil's and had an enjoyable meal. then it was off to this place in douglas called jojo's, right of bue star highway. we were there late, but some folks were playing at the piao and singing some jazz tunes. it was open mic night. we had drinks and enjoyed the cool cat atmosphere. we got to chatting with olaf and the cat was cool, making his way here and there, even showing us how the pad looks with the lights up. they were quickly dimmed again.

and the phrase written by a none to bright individual at the edge of the bar. olaf told us the place was new but that one of the original pieces was teh wood trim on the bar. they'd put enamel over it, butyou oculd still see where people had carved stuff into it. he pointed out the witty little thing, "we ain't right and we're fixin to get worser" after which we all had a good chuckle at that wonderful wittism by a local of day's gone by.

after returning home and doing a couple of jigs, denise and mig left and we have wound our way to sunday. i've got a headache from the booze. dawn's chillin and that's how it winds down.