“I would like to salute The ashes of American flags And all the fallen leaves Filling up shopping bags” Wilco lyrics by Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett My son’s chain keeps falling off his bike so, like the dutiful father I am, I drop it off at the Hub repair shop. I feel anxious because … Continue reading Ashes of American Flags
post office
Macabre Mailboxes and a Minneapolis Murder Mystery
As a letter carrier, I get paid to walk in circles. It is not such a horrible thing to stroll through the same neighborhood every day, although the job does get dull and the weather is sometimes horrible. Like any walker, I note the banal passage of the seasons. I had forgotten this collection of … Continue reading Macabre Mailboxes and a Minneapolis Murder Mystery
Dollar Bill
For many years, I befriended alcoholic coworkers far older than me. It was only after becoming a father that I realized that I was attempting to patch a hole in my life caused by my estrangement with my own. There was Frankie who drove to work in a Mustang convertible and sang Bob Dylan tunes … Continue reading Dollar Bill
Dead Letter Office
I lay awake in the half-light of early morning and listened to my wife breathing. It was January in Minneapolis. In a couple of hours, I would be trudging through the snow with a stack of junk mail balanced on my arm and a wad of letters clutched in my hand. I felt as if … Continue reading Dead Letter Office
