Will the trade winds take me south through Georgia grain?

Three white men sit in chairs, facing front. The photo is in black and white.

For reasons, I’ve been driving a car without my usual presets or a Bluetooth link, which I guess is a good way to discover radio? I ran into WDVR‘s Wednesday morning show, “Loose Threads,” which I stuck with long enough to hear a vaguely Fleetwood Mac song I don’t remember, a cover of “Girl from the North Country” that wasn’t as good as Adam Duritz’s (don’t @ me), and the Avett Brothers’ “No Hard Feelings.”

I mean I suppose I’m a sucker for songs about death, or maybe — belay that, I’m surely in a mood, but this one really hit me. The specificity of what’s being left behind, and the smallness of it; the litany of questions all left answerless, and the one answer at the end that can only be an answer at the end.

When my body won’t hold me anymore

And it finally lets me free

Will I be ready?

When my feet won’t walk another mile

And my lips give their last kiss goodbye

Will my hands be steady when I lay down my fears, my hopes, and my doubts?

The rings on my fingers, and the keys to my house

With no hard feelings


If you’re enjoying my writing, you can get some of my short fiction on your e-reader for the low, low cost of $0. Remembered Air is a collection of six poems and short stories not available anywhere else. Download it here.

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