Author Archives: John Swinburn

I awoke this morning to evidence of heavy rain and wind while I was sleeping. My big tomato plant was bent in half, blown away from its metal cage and its leave water logged. The forecast, which calls for more … Continue reading →

My mood today is moderately better than yesterday’s nadir. The aroma of hope wafts through the water-logged air, suggesting something sanguine awaits beyond my view, hidden by the morning fog. I wish I possessed the skill or talent or whatever … Continue reading →

This morning, I feel a bit like I felt that awful night in November, 2016, when it became apparent that the United States had elected a rancid pig as its president. In the ensuing year and a half, the pig … Continue reading →

I haven’t posted for several days now. It’s not that I haven’t written anything to post. It’s that what little I’ve allowed myself to write has been dark and nervous, as if written by a ground squirrel stuck in a … Continue reading →

A short while ago, I received a text message from a friend, saying only “Tis a sad day, amigo…Anthony Bourdain dead at 61.” A link to a CNN article about Bourdain’s death was included. Bourdain, who was in France working … Continue reading →

I had a phone call from a friend yesterday. The purpose of her call was to share with me an idea for a novel. The idea? Write a novel that follows the development of what is now the United States … Continue reading →

I had a long, involved dream, more like a nightmare, several nights ago. I awoke in the middle of the night (see number 8, below) and rushed into my study to record what I could remember. Even immediately after waking, … Continue reading →

Two and a half months after our house received a new roof (mid-March, 2018), we experienced one hellacious hail storm. On the afternoon of June 2, the promised “spring showers” turned into fifteen minutes of relentless hail raining down. Fierce … Continue reading →

I joined a church yesterday. I’ve lived my entire life up to this point being “unchurched.” I have never wanted to join a church because…well, for a lot of reasons. First and foremost, I suppose, was the dogma, the creed, … Continue reading →

Last night’s hail storm. Take a look at 05:20 and beyond.

[The words below were published accidentally; I intended to “save draft” for later use but they got published, instead. The shards of ideas here are just that—fragments. Much of this will never find its way into a finished poem. That’s … Continue reading →

Accuser: “Your dog bit my child.” The Innocent: “I do not have a dog.” Accuser: “My child is at the doctor’s office because of your dog’s vicious attack!” The Innocent: “I do not own a  dog.” Accuser: “Officer, this is the … Continue reading →

This morning, I’ll treat this blog as my journal. Yesterday, I spent some time with a man who is my political opposite. I try to avoid any conversations of politics with him because my blood pressure and my voice tend … Continue reading →

[This is a modified version of what I originally wrote. After posting it, I thought about my reaction to the issues addressed in this post and realized how far off base I was. So, here is my revised version. I … Continue reading →

I was awakened in the wee hours this morning by bone-jarring cracks of thunder and blinding flashes of lightning. I hoped, for a brief moment, the storms signaled cooler weather. But, then, I remembered what the weather prognosticators offered last … Continue reading →

This morning, when I stepped outside to hang the hummingbird feeders, I felt like I was stepping into a sauna. The thermometer read only 74, but I think the humidity must have doubled that number. Once again, I sensed that … Continue reading →

When I awoke shortly after 3 this morning, due in part to my wife jostling the bed as she got up to use the bathroom, I was involved in a terrifying dream. Rather than go back to sleep, I got … Continue reading →

Moderately cool, dry air floods the house. Though the air in the house is no cooler than it has been for much of the past several days, it feels better because the suffocating humidity of the past week has been … Continue reading →

Last night, we joined two other couples for dinner as part of our UUVC “dinner for six” involvement. The meal was outstanding: multiple Persian dishes, from appetizers through the main courses to dessert. Our contribution was what I consider a … Continue reading →

My wife opted to sleep in cooler temperatures, so she spent the night at her sister’s house. I stayed at home, AKA the oven, which was reasonably comfortable after 11 PM and with the fan on high-speed, aimed at my … Continue reading →

Wine-enhanced sleep, even when the humidity is higher than one might like, is welcome sleep. I don’t think I woke up during the night, not even once. But I awoke to the experience of slightly sticky floors. You know, that … Continue reading →