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Quiet Desparation in a Parallel Universe
In a distant dream of wealth and danger, shines courage against a threatening stranger. -City to City Mike Jackson December 1984 Those opening lyrics are from a song I wrote in December of 1984 after waking from a dream. In abstract melodic celluloid, forever preserved, the twilight mystery endures at least throughout my travels. Closing… Continue reading
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The less is more factor
That one soul-soothing, warmth-distributing, bitter, and sweet taste gifted by the roasting and grinding of tropical beans. There is nothing so perfect. It is one individual ingredient that can boast a significant level of perfection in all the stages it reached before it arrived in my kitchen. But it is not over. It then still… Continue reading
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Betting on insecurity
“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality, nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a… Continue reading
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Good morning in the morning
What have mornings meant to you as you scroll the pages of your life? It is interesting to think of all of the different kinds of mornings that we can experience. From my childhood summer mornings, I can recall, setting one foot on the floor followed by walking straight out the door to see my… Continue reading
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The Longest Day
THE LONGEST DAYBy Mike Jackson I think there is a density to major events in your life. You can feel them if you are listening. You see things that take place in the future without realizing it. For me, it is usually there. I can feel a change coming, like you do when the barometric… Continue reading
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Slow dancing in Panic Season
The season of panic stalks me with its outward and blatant threats, and it is those that it pretends are not there that concern me. I find myself dealing with the obvious ones, those that can be seen, but below the counter, I fortify my hands to deal with all of the others. I remember… Continue reading
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Futility on the wind
Stand where you are, stand where you will be, change the planet, change reality. Developing film, that once was means nothing, and what once was tells more than it ever did. I remember Avenue J, listening to Indian Girl. It had only been released five years earlier, and as usual, yeah, I was late to… Continue reading
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The Exploded View
When I set out to edit The Longest Day, the first story that I wrote in 1996 about the loss of my father, I thought that I could finally do it. It is a piece that based on the story it tells, has covered over the mass tense and grammatical shortcomings. These were done because… Continue reading
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Tuning in
October is new and the weather is on borrowed time. It is perfect. Sunshine, light breeze, crow cawing in the distance. I am sitting outside the main entrance to APD. A large roof, supported by two brick pillars. I suddenly notice bungee cords wrapped around the pillar closest to me. Why? Then I realize, it… Continue reading
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It’s late, but not too late
As I sipped my coffee on a cold Vermont morning in January 2022, I silently asked myself, what are you going to do this year? I am not into the resolution thing one bit. I see needing a date to start a new habit as a crutch to circumvent laziness and procrastination. My avoidance… Continue reading