A simple place for essays, experiments, and useful ideas.
Notes and essays, organized by date.
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659 published posts across 11 pages.
November 18, 2021
Scotch Plains looked ordinary from the road, which is usually when a place is easiest to underestimate. Union County keeps a lot of its memory in street names, rail crossings, old storefront shapes, and the odd bend of…
November 14, 2021
Passed through Scotch Plains and caught one small thing: a sign, a doorway, somebody carrying coffee too carefully. That was the whole note. Some towns are mostly made of things you only see while stopped at a light.
November 13, 2021
A marked envelope sat next to the open page, and Matthew 6 did not need much decoration. I read it slowly because I have a bad habit of making familiar words too easy. A verse can become furniture if a person only walks…
November 13, 2021
The old war notes I was reading made me think less about speeches and more about boots, mud, and mail. World War I becomes too large to hold if it stays only on maps. The smaller details bring it back down to human size…
November 11, 2021
A red-tailed hawk held still near the road longer than I expected. Traffic kept moving. A door shut somewhere. The bird or animal did not seem interested in becoming a lesson. That is probably why I noticed it. Suburban…
November 10, 2021
The line went out badly near the Rahway River, and there was no way to pretend otherwise. Fishing has a way of making impatience visible. The water does not care how clean the cast looked in a person's head. I watched t…
November 9, 2021
Passed through Berkeley Heights and caught one small thing: a sign, a doorway, somebody carrying coffee too carefully. That was the whole note. Some towns are mostly made of things you only see while stopped at a light.
November 8, 2021
Said a short prayer in the evening before walking into the next thing. Nothing dramatic happened. It still helped to stop arguing with the day for a minute.
November 7, 2021
The evening started with an old pen on the kitchen table and no great feeling of readiness. I said the short prayer anyway. Not because the room changed, and not because I suddenly understood what to do next. Prayer is…
November 6, 2021
I walked a little through Roselle Park with gray light moving across the street. The older blocks had that New Jersey mix of pride and wear. A good front step, a tired sign, a small business opening its door. Nothing dr…
November 5, 2021
A heron held still near the road longer than I expected. Traffic kept moving. A door shut somewhere. The bird or animal did not seem interested in becoming a lesson. That is probably why I noticed it. Suburban New Jerse…
November 3, 2021
A cardinal held still near the road longer than I expected. Traffic kept moving. A door shut somewhere. The bird or animal did not seem interested in becoming a lesson. That is probably why I noticed it. Suburban New Je…
October 30, 2021
I had George Herbert open with a church bulletin nearby and the room getting a little darker. The poem did not explain itself all at once. The better lines rarely do. They stay put while the reader shifts around in the…
October 29, 2021
Summit looked ordinary from the road, which is usually when a place is easiest to underestimate. Union County keeps a lot of its memory in street names, rail crossings, old storefront shapes, and the odd bend of traffic…
October 28, 2021
A crow held still near the road longer than I expected. Traffic kept moving. A door shut somewhere. The bird or animal did not seem interested in becoming a lesson. That is probably why I noticed it. Suburban New Jersey…
October 26, 2021
A mourning dove held still near the road longer than I expected. Traffic kept moving. A door shut somewhere. The bird or animal did not seem interested in becoming a lesson. That is probably why I noticed it. Suburban N…
October 24, 2021
A pocket notebook sat next to the open page, and Romans 8 did not need much decoration. I read it slowly because I have a bad habit of making familiar words too easy. A verse can become furniture if a person only walks…
October 23, 2021
Cold coffee sat next to the open page, and Psalm 23 did not need much decoration. I read it slowly because I have a bad habit of making familiar words too easy. A verse can become furniture if a person only walks past i…
October 20, 2021
I had Robert Frost open with a chipped mug nearby and the room getting a little darker. The poem did not explain itself all at once. The better lines rarely do. They stay put while the reader shifts around in the chair.…
October 17, 2021
A red-tailed hawk held still near the road longer than I expected. Traffic kept moving. A door shut somewhere. The bird or animal did not seem interested in becoming a lesson. That is probably why I noticed it. Suburban…
October 15, 2021
An old pen on the kitchen table caught my attention and then the day kept moving. Not much to say beyond that. I wrote it down because small things disappear fast.
October 14, 2021
I had George Herbert open with a library receipt nearby and the room getting a little darker. The poem did not explain itself all at once. The better lines rarely do. They stay put while the reader shifts around in the…
October 13, 2021
The shoes were by the door before I felt like walking. That is usually how health works for me. The useful thing has to be started before the mood agrees to it. Sleep, food, walking, lifting, water, less noise. None of…
October 11, 2021
Elizabeth looked ordinary from the road, which is usually when a place is easiest to underestimate. Union County keeps a lot of its memory in street names, rail crossings, old storefront shapes, and the odd bend of traf…
October 10, 2021
A blue jay had the whole block to itself for a moment. Nobody else seemed to notice. That made it better.
October 8, 2021
One open stool at the counter, one cup of coffee, one guy talking like the whole room had subscribed. I miss places where nobody had to turn the moment into a brand.
October 8, 2021
Had a quick bite near Kenilworth. Nothing fancy. The coffee was not great, but the booth was. Sometimes the room does more work than the menu.
October 7, 2021
Saw a cardinal near the road and almost missed it. It was there, then it was gone. The street felt a little less ordinary for about five seconds.
October 7, 2021
The table in Plainfield had a paper napkin under one leg and coffee that had been sitting too long. That is not a complaint. Some meals are remembered because the room makes room for a tired person. Neighborhood food is…
October 4, 2021
The smaller station is often where a traveler starts noticing again. Big cities tell you what to look at. Smaller towns leave more work to the eye: a bakery window, a narrow street, a quiet market, a train board clickin…
September 28, 2021
An old pen sat next to the open page, and Matthew 6 did not need much decoration. I read it slowly because I have a bad habit of making familiar words too easy. A verse can become furniture if a person only walks past i…
September 26, 2021
A rabbit held still near the road longer than I expected. Traffic kept moving. A door shut somewhere. The bird or animal did not seem interested in becoming a lesson. That is probably why I noticed it. Suburban New Jers…
September 18, 2021
There was a time when late coffee felt like a normal bad idea. Now even bad ideas seem to need nicer lighting.
September 16, 2021
New Providence looked ordinary from the road, which is usually when a place is easiest to underestimate. Union County keeps a lot of its memory in street names, rail crossings, old storefront shapes, and the odd bend of…
September 15, 2021
I had Christina Rossetti open with a library receipt nearby and the room getting a little darker. The poem did not explain itself all at once. The better lines rarely do. They stay put while the reader shifts around in…
September 13, 2021
The late hour started with a grocery receipt curling near the sink and no great feeling of readiness. I said the short prayer anyway. Not because the room changed, and not because I suddenly understood what to do next.…
September 12, 2021
The counter had a sugar packet stuck to it and a stool that turned a little too easily. Old diners and neighborhood bars were not perfect rooms. They were public rooms, which is different and maybe more useful. A person…
September 10, 2021
Read Byron late, which is probably when he does the most damage. The line had style. The mood around it needed watching.
September 8, 2021
A red-tailed hawk held still near the road longer than I expected. Traffic kept moving. A door shut somewhere. The bird or animal did not seem interested in becoming a lesson. That is probably why I noticed it. Suburban…
September 7, 2021
The line went out badly near the edge of a local lake, and there was no way to pretend otherwise. Fishing has a way of making impatience visible. The water does not care how clean the cast looked in a person's head. I w…
September 2, 2021
The thing that stayed with me was not a headline but a kitchen detail: rationing, blackout cloth, a careful hand with what was left. World War II can become too clean in memory if it is only told through victories. The…
September 1, 2021
The late hour started with a folded napkin by the plate and no great feeling of readiness. I said the short prayer anyway. Not because the room changed, and not because I suddenly understood what to do next. Prayer is o…
August 31, 2021
A rabbit held still near the road longer than I expected. Traffic kept moving. A door shut somewhere. The bird or animal did not seem interested in becoming a lesson. That is probably why I noticed it. Suburban New Jers…
August 31, 2021
One open stool at the counter, one cup of coffee, one guy talking like the whole room had subscribed. I miss places where nobody had to turn the moment into a brand.
August 28, 2021
Left the main square early and liked the town more immediately. Travel gets better when it stops performing for the camera.
August 27, 2021
The late hour started with an old pen on the kitchen table and no great feeling of readiness. I said the short prayer anyway. Not because the room changed, and not because I suddenly understood what to do next. Prayer i…
August 26, 2021
I had William Wordsworth open with a folded napkin nearby and the room getting a little darker. The poem did not explain itself all at once. The better lines rarely do. They stay put while the reader shifts around in th…
August 25, 2021
A chipped mug sat next to the open page, and Isaiah 40 did not need much decoration. I read it slowly because I have a bad habit of making familiar words too easy. A verse can become furniture if a person only walks pas…
August 23, 2021
The table in Elizabeth had a paper napkin under one leg and coffee that had been sitting too long. That is not a complaint. Some meals are remembered because the room makes room for a tired person. Neighborhood food is…
August 22, 2021
A heron held still near the road longer than I expected. Traffic kept moving. A door shut somewhere. The bird or animal did not seem interested in becoming a lesson. That is probably why I noticed it. Suburban New Jerse…
August 21, 2021
A church bulletin sat next to the open page, and Psalm 121 did not need much decoration. I read it slowly because I have a bad habit of making familiar words too easy. A verse can become furniture if a person only walks…
August 19, 2021
A church bulletin sat next to the open page, and Isaiah 40 did not need much decoration. I read it slowly because I have a bad habit of making familiar words too easy. A verse can become furniture if a person only walks…
August 18, 2021
A grocery receipt curling near the sink was enough to slow the late hour down for a minute. Most days do not announce what they are going to mean. They leave small evidence and let a person decide whether to notice. I a…
August 15, 2021
The old war notes I was reading made me think less about speeches and more about boots, mud, and mail. World War I becomes too large to hold if it stays only on maps. The smaller details bring it back down to human size…
August 15, 2021
A goldfinch held still near the road longer than I expected. Traffic kept moving. A door shut somewhere. The bird or animal did not seem interested in becoming a lesson. That is probably why I noticed it. Suburban New J…
August 13, 2021
The shoes were by the door before I felt like walking. That is usually how health works for me. The useful thing has to be started before the mood agrees to it. Sleep, food, walking, lifting, water, less noise. None of…
August 11, 2021
A folded napkin sat next to the open page, and Romans 8 did not need much decoration. I read it slowly because I have a bad habit of making familiar words too easy. A verse can become furniture if a person only walks pa…
August 8, 2021
The morning started with a church bulletin folded in half and no great feeling of readiness. I said the short prayer anyway. Not because the room changed, and not because I suddenly understood what to do next. Prayer is…
August 5, 2021
A church bulletin sat next to the open page, and Psalm 121 did not need much decoration. I read it slowly because I have a bad habit of making familiar words too easy. A verse can become furniture if a person only walks…
August 4, 2021
Stopped near the Rahway River long enough to check the water and make one bad cast. No fish. No tragedy. The wind had better timing than I did.