If there’s one thing I’ve learned when it comes to marriage, it’s that you need to stick to marrying someone who is close to what you are used to. That is to say, when considering marriage, the person you choose should have a similar family background and upbringing. Of course, if you grew up in a toxic environment, by all means, please get some counseling, break the cycle, and find
Much jazz writing has proceeded from the Great Man theory of history. If you’re trying to fashion a narrative, it’s a convenient theory. Buddy Bolden begat King Oliver begat Louis Armstrong begat Roy Eldridge begat Dizzy Gillespie; Bix Beiderbecke begat Bobby Hackett begat Chet Baker. And so on. These trains of influence are supportable to a point, and allow for a coherent story to be told about the development of
The man across the table glared at Howard Collins and said, “Hey, I pay your salary, dude. You have no right to hold out on me. You know damn well I’m allergic to Tramadol. I need Percocet. I’m in pain! Can’t you see that?” Howard considered the irony. He had spent several years and $140,000 on his education to secure his job as a physician assistant. Now, a homeless man
I went to hear my favorite poet speak, And was pleased to find that So many had come To hear and be touched by his gentle verse. And yet upon reflection, I wonder if we really heard The message he weaves through words. When it was all over, Fragments of a dozen conversations Drifted to my ears; A subtle audio collage of praise, criticism, And “Where shall we go for
The aspen tree rises daintily A paper mache model in white Heart shaped leaves rattle A soft murmur in the breeze Its branches bird’s nest hold Nature’s little hi-rise for Its summer animal inabitants And in autumn its precious golden nuggets Catch fire against Blue gentle Colorado sky And in winter brave and strong Against the arctic cold winds And suffocating snow To return in the long awaited spring In
Bright light, whiter than the sun, glittered for an instant before the sound split my ears and I dissolved, my last and only thought that no one would know I had come home. Years later, my daughter paused on a remote sidewalk and stared down at my shadow, which had been seared into the pavement. She thought of me, lost in an era of misguided honor, and wondered where I
