Posts by John Blase
Dear Winn – 8 December 2016
Dear Winn: Its a little before 6am here, and its 3°. Most of my younger life I dreamed of, as that line from Harry Nilsson’s song so pointedly put it, “going where the weather suits my clothes.” Now, here in my forty-ninth year, I realize that dream has come true. My weather app tells me…
Read MoreAnd All For What?
The inglorious angels speak of Incarnation as The Great Betrayal – the breaking of every existent code and convention of divinity, an infidelity if there ever was one. In touching the young Jewish girl God’s reputable chastity fell scarlet. The contact with Mary’s waiting flesh sowed the seed for God’s new electric skin. He then…
Read MoreDear Winn – 18 November 2016
Dear Winn: Happy Birthday, pard! I never had the pleasure of meeting your Mom, but I bet she was tickled pink when the doctor handed you to her. Yes, I betcha she held you close and breathed you in, all howevermany justborn pounds of ya. The gift of a son. My, my. Who knows, maybe…
Read MoreAmerica's Tomorrow
Were I a bit younger and not kindly cut I would approach my wife in whispers and plead my case for another child. Her eyes would no doubt double and she would say But we have three and they are radiant in the sun. I would say yes, yes. But, I would press on, we…
Read MoreDear Winn – 12 November 2016
Dear Winn: I’ll be brief. I’ve started this letter a couple of times, then petered out. Maybe this third time will be charmed, although I must say the word “charm” seems alien in light of this week, a quaint noun we’ve no use for anymore. But it may be that we need that word, or…
Read MoreDear Winn -29 October 2016
Dear Winn: Its mild here along the Front Range for these final days of October. A few days this week its been downright hot. Since my last letter to you we’ve seen Sarah and Will. We flew out to Pepperdine for Waves Weekend. The school mascot there is a wave, which makes perfect sense, but…
Read MoreThen You Begin
I’ll never forget that rainy day I wore my Scout uniform to school not knowing our meeting was cancelled. Those were halcyon days before group text messages and reverse 911s. So there I sat in the cafeteria, the one lone webelo in my pressed shirt with kerchief round my neck, ashamed. How did everyone else…
Read MoreDear Winn – 10 September 2016
Dear Winn: I knew last night when I went to bed that it was going to get chilly overnight. Sure enough, I woke to frost on the grass and rooftops. Unless I missed it, and I don’t miss such things, that’s the first frost for this season. I must say it looks beautiful sitting atop…
Read MoreTake, Strike, and Speak
There is a matchbook in my pocket stemmed with words. I tear them out, one at a time, to strike against the grains of the day. My words become fire – warming, burning, casting light and shadow. Vintage matchbooks held twenty, equal to the number of smokes in a pack (in case you…
Read MoreThan We Knew
It was a world sweeter than we knew. Back then. Back when we tried to soothe babies to sleep in that rocking-chair built just like JFK’s. We were half-dead most days until we discovered the Exer-Saucer and Winnie the Pooh on VHS. Bouncing to that bear’s untamed cheer kept them glued while you…
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