Dennis Danvers’ Web Site

I had a wonderful birthday, the best parts of which were this card Sarah made for me and spending the day with her.

Prayer

I am not a good man.
No need of a god to confess
that one to,
to offer penance—
passion’s ashes and a spent bag of wind—
every god’s treasure:
Another sorry old man
like Himself.

Or so the old ones say.
Not old like me, you understand,
but older-better, wiser, deader:
Eternal life, salvation, all of that.
That’s not what I’m after—what comes after.
I’ve had a glimpse, caught a whiff.
That changes things, the small disaster.
Tenses shift.
Time is altered.
I have not been a good man.

The writing wasn’t going so well, so Ethel suggested the Beach.  Smart dog.

The pause that refreshes.

As proud papa looks on:

She can’t quite decide to take the plunge—

When we first adopted Ethel, she was terrified of a neighbor’s pug.  As you can see, she’s made progress.  Once they sorted out the canine politics, she and Maggie played nonstop during old friends’ Randall and Betsy’s visit.  This was one of the most enjoyable holiday seasons in recent memory.  Course my memory isn’t what it used to be.

While I showered, Ethel tried to see the world through my eyes, apparently wanting to sink her teeth into the thorny issues of life…