Author Archives: John Swinburn

About John Swinburn

"Love not what you are but what you may become."― Miguel de Cervantes

Impeachara

Posted on August 18, 2017 by John Swinburn

I do love this “commercial.” Would that it were not fantasy.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Mourning, Anger, and Bleak Despair

Posted on August 18, 2017 by John Swinburn

Today, this day after the monstrous attacks in Barcelona and other parts of Spain, I mourn for the dead and injured and their friends and families. And I mourn for civilization, an experiment our species going terribly wrong. We are … Continue reading →

Posted in Rant | Leave a comment

Desierto

Posted on August 16, 2017 by John Swinburn

I watched Desierto tonight. It’s not an uplifting film. It’s an action/horror film whose premise is that a group of illegal immigrants attempting to enter the U.S. are forced to abandon the truck in which they are being transported. Because … Continue reading →

Posted in Film | Leave a comment

A Taste of the Globe

Posted on August 16, 2017 by John Swinburn

My global gastronomical journey restarted yesterday afternoon when my sister-in-law came to the house with a bottle of Babich sauvignon blanc, some grapes, crackers, and a couple of cheeses. We added to the feast with garlic-and-jalapeño-stuffed olives. As we sat … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | Leave a comment

A Diverse Ending

Posted on August 15, 2017 by John Swinburn

We saw the  Earth shudder when the first nuclear blast took place. Though we were only a few hundred miles above Earth, we could tell something ghastly was happening below us. The Earth winced, like a person stabbed with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Writing | Leave a comment

Scattered

Posted on August 15, 2017 by John Swinburn

Yesterday, as I was searching for recipes of various kinds, I stumbled upon a website, www.oldfatguy.ca, that intrigues me. The proprietor, who lives in the mountains of British Columbia, enjoys cooking as much as I do, perhaps more. And he … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Thrice

Posted on August 14, 2017 by John Swinburn

Think about the word, “relative.” Are you thinking about a cousin or has the level of humidity in the air captured your attention? Or, perhaps you’re thinking of the degree of connectedness between multiple concepts. Now, think about “aspic.” Does … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Drowning in My Own Tears

Posted on August 13, 2017 by John Swinburn

I wish I knew what part of my psyche is so fragile that I am moved to tears by simple things, things that may move normal people in some way, but don’t twist their spigots the way they do mine. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Who Are We?

Posted on August 13, 2017 by John Swinburn

Calvin stood motionless as he observed the magnificent beast walk past him, just a few feet away. Apparently, the unicorn did not see Calvin. Otherwise, the animal would have bolted. Instead, it was the picture of serenity as it grazed … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Philosophy, Writing | Leave a comment

Blue Eyes

Posted on August 12, 2017 by John Swinburn

Her penetrating eyes were talons. Once they had him in their grip, he was helpless. Though he was a victim, he was willing prey. He treasured every glance, every sweep of her eyes across his face. She knew the power of … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Writing | Leave a comment

Five Years

Posted on August 10, 2017 by John Swinburn

This post, number 2415, marks the fifth anniversary of this blog: August 10, 2012 marked my first post here. I’d written hundreds of other posts on other blogs I’d started years earlier, but that first post on a blog that … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Leave a comment

Punishment

Posted on August 8, 2017 by John Swinburn

In last night’s nightmare, I was behind Janine and another woman. We were on our backs inside a tiny tunnel, the ceiling of which was just inches above my face. The two of them were riding on their backs on … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Scrawl

Posted on August 7, 2017 by John Swinburn

There’s something about the word “scrawl” that I find appealing. Appealing may be the wrong word. Magnetic might be more appropriate. I say this because I’ve used the word in several posts on my blog. In one, I named a … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Writing | Leave a comment

Cars

Posted on August 6, 2017 by John Swinburn

I drove a car, which my neighbor had borrowed  from a friend, to the gas station. Actually, he had traded vehicles with another friend; he had let his friend use his nondescript sedan in exchange for the use of his … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Writing | 2 Comments

Smoked Jerky

Posted on August 5, 2017 by John Swinburn

If the Universe is decent, kind, and caring, these strips of eye of round I marinated for twenty-four hours will be—seven hours hence—delicious, mouth-watering beef jerky. The kind of jerky I used to seek out on long, aimless road trip … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | Leave a comment

Seductive Spices

Posted on August 4, 2017 by John Swinburn

“What the hell are we going to do with three pounds of goat shoulder?” Geneva’s tone revealed her doubts about the gift from Jacob’s friend, Katrina. Jacob flashed a conciliatory grin at her. “You needn’t worry about it, darling. I’ll … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Writing | 1 Comment

Distrustful Sky

Posted on August 3, 2017 by John Swinburn

The sky remained almost dark, distrustful that my appearance on the deck was a good sign. As I hung hummingbird feeders in their assigned places, replenished with fresh nectar, the sky brightened a bit, satisfied that my presence was not … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Cucumber

Posted on August 2, 2017 by John Swinburn

David and Amanda Spears spent the first ten years of their marriage focused on work. He worked for a granite company as a buyer, a job that involved considerable international travel. She split her time between hautes écoles training in … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Writing | Leave a comment

Fresh Joys and Unending Tears

Posted on August 1, 2017 by John Swinburn

I love sitting outside on the screen porch at the intersection of dusk and darkness. I sit listening to the frogs and toads and insects and who-knows-what make a cacophonous racket in the trees and hillside just beyond the deck. … Continue reading →

Posted in Stream of Consciousness, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Lost Among Serpents and other Reptiles

Posted on July 31, 2017 by John Swinburn

A bizarre merger of odd dreams into a nightmare A young woman from Australia, who worked for my company years ago, was visiting. We were in someone else’s house. I remember windows looking down on a street below. And I … Continue reading →

Posted in Dreams | Leave a comment

Mi Escritura Estraña

Posted on July 30, 2017 by John Swinburn

When I took the hummingbird feeders out this morning, I was surprised at how cool it felt to walk outside. The indoor/outdoor thermometer read 67 degrees, a much more civilized morning temperature than recent morning lows of 76 or more. … Continue reading →

Posted in Stream of Consciousness | Leave a comment

Lion

Posted on July 28, 2017 by John Swinburn

I do not follow film. I do not wait with anticipation for announcements of Oscar nominations, nor do I track predictions about which new films will be the latest and greatest contributions to filmdom. I guess that’s the reason I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in Film | Leave a comment

The Last Cold Front

Posted on July 28, 2017 by John Swinburn

“Man, the weather is changing a hell of a lot faster than the models predicted. Two years ago, I was among those saying we wouldn’t see a sea level increase by three feet until 2100.” Angus McCutcheon’s leathery face was … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Uncategorized, Writing | 4 Comments

Envision

Posted on July 27, 2017 by John Swinburn

Constraints exist only in one’s imagination. Possibilities have limits only in the mind. If a person can conceive of time travel, he can travel forward in time, carrying a notebook in which to record his reality. Circumstances impose boundaries only … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry | Leave a comment

Venezuelans and Their Food

Posted on July 26, 2017 by John Swinburn

Earlier today, an article on the National Public Radio website about a food common in Venezuela, called arepas, launched my exploration of the dish. Several recipes later, my interest grew beyond food as I became increasingly intrigued about the current state of … Continue reading →

Posted in Compassion, Food, Justice, Politics | Leave a comment