World Enough and Time…

Can you ever fill-in a lifetime with words I was walking on the people mover at O’Hare, heading home, dinner waiting, when I caught a glimpse of a woman. She was on a restaurant stool overlooking foot traffic. I stopped walking and moved to the stationary lane to prolong my sighting. Could it be Sherri? …

Getting Through It

sometimes being there is more important than words My buddy Joe set down his third beer on my back steps. Then he got this misty look in his eye. “Yeah, remember the time we stayed in this log cabin motel near Cadillac to go skiing the next morning at Caberfae?” “Caberfae? Vaguely…” “Yeah, that was …

Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

when statues disappear Sitting outside the Starbucks on Taylor street in Chicago’s Little Italy, I sip my latte macchiato. Something is missing but I can’t put my finger on it. I grew up here as a kid and it’s always nice to get back. Snag a plate of spaghetti and neck bones at Pompei. Buy …

Wrens, Rabbits and Turkeys

Man the hunter as a 10 yr old with a b-b gun             The fat wren tipped over. Fluttered its wings. Rolled off the garage roof across the yard and fell to the ground. I was stunned. I hadn’t thought I would ever hit one, let alone kill it. I knelt next to the little …

I Am Not a Fire Plug

Older folks can feel overlooked, ignored. This is a short piece to take you there. I’m an old man, okay? I’m finally starting to realize that. Slowly. One loss at a time. For instance, I used to run to and around a neighborhood park before breakfast three times a week. Now I walk there and …

A Second Beachhead

Natural calamities and Social Change Once, some forty years ago, Lake Michigan lapped the stairs at the base of the bluff in front of my house. This year the water level is again high, allowing Leviathon to demolish my steps, take a monster bite out of my cliff and drag trees to his watery lair …

The Quiet Game + Study Guide/The Story Teller + Study Guide

Two stories and feedback guides for kids at home The Quiet Game Carrie sprawled in the shade of the cliff that ran along the Lake Michigan shoreline, her ankle swelling into a black and blue softball. Why did I have to come so far? she wondered. Two miles past the creek. To see deer tracks …

Lawn Ornaments

when does craft become art I enjoyed visiting my neighbor’s workshop. Joe’s basement had the cozy smells of pine boards, sawdust, and fresh paint. Every time I went down his stairs, I was transported to our church boy’s club where volunteers helped us trace comic book figures onto ¼ inch plywood to be sawn on …

Back Flash

Grandkids can get us thinking “So, how was your soccer game?” I ask my 8-year old grandson. “Good,” he mutters staring out the car window. “Did you score any goals?” “Huh? One.” He shrugs tossing his tangle of summer streaked brown hair. A woman could sit in a beauty shop all day to achieve that …

Two Negatives Make a Positive

A new slant on speed dating Professor Jonathan Stanley took the aisle seat in row 22 of Delta flight 322. Another man sat at the window. He had finally settled his carry-on bag under the seat and buckled-in when a pair of woman’s strap sandals stopped next to him. A quick glance took in trim, …