A fine place with empty front porches, security alarms, and people on cell phones, posing into eternity or a glass of wine.
Author Archives: the.primes
Backwards Wisdom
Old enough to decline invitations, young enough to know better.
To be that guy or not.
5-10 minutes is the length of time it takes to fill a car up with gas. But there’s always a person who goes inside to use the restroom, complete their weekly shopping, and to pay for the gasoline. Sometimes it takes 10-20 minutes. Other times it takes longer. Regardless, I somehow park behind this person …
A Tree Burning with Cardinals
Marie’s home is decorated with birds. Some of the feeders in her front yard are bouquets of yellow warblers and goldfinches. She fills these feeders with Nyjer seed, white millet, and safflower, attracting and bundling the yellow birds into a defined area for their one color and one song. One of the wood feeders was …
Best Gifts
When books are selected thoughtfully as a gift, there’s nothing better. My youngest buys me books for my birthday and Christmas. I spend hours reading them, and even more time thinking about them– taking notes. There are no other gifts that I spend more time with, except for my wedding ring. When she goes to …
Your Face Here
A man in a car on a phone. Small talk, then the speech elevates. Soon he’s yelling, then crying. It’s only a few minutes , but feels like hours. Another time , a woman in a grocery story receives a walkie call from her manager. A few moments later, she is scared and talking to …
A Silent Apprenticeship
Music, poetry, and teaching all have one thing in common for a few practitioners. It’s the idea of a silent apprenticeship. When it comes to music, the performer often selects a piece, then learns it verbatim. This isn’t always easy. The performer will likely need to learn and practice new skills to perform the song, …
Curiosity is a Form of Longing
I think if you’re a fiction writer and you’re too intelligent, you cannot write. But if you’re stupid, you cannot write. You have to find a position in between. That is very difficult. — Haruki Murakami * The above quote resonates– as do most words by Haruki Murakami. The fact is, my intelligence pales in …
Directions
To develop personal taste and style, read books that others aren’t reading. Develop empathy for content other artists won’t touch. Identify forgotten heroes whose work is either ignored or censored, but resonates with you nonetheless. Mine for better mediums and materials. If that fails, make your own. Above all, have confidence in your choices .
The Pants
The pants gifted are a little small in the waist, but you can return them. The gift-giver has the receipt. The only problem is that she wants you to love them. But the real gift is that they are small. You can ask for the receipt and lie, noting that they aren’t your style, but …