How To Write An Obituary

Nobody likes writing an obituary. But, if you have to write one, try to make it good. If the person ran their own business and enjoyed it and truly loved their work, fine, but putting that they worked 30 years as a clerk at XYZ company is uninteresting and damning with faint praise, like that was the most important thing about them. Don’t write something silly either like they ‘lit up a room’ or that they were a ‘force of nature’ or that ‘everyone loved them’. Too hokey, too ridiculous, and too disingenuous. Nobody believes that stuff. There was surely somebody out there who didn’t ‘love’ them. Write instead about where they traveled to, or things they were interested in. If the person was a lifetime Pittsburgh Steelers fan, put it down. It gives more depth to the person you’re writing about, makes them more relatable. If they played in a band, say so and write what instrument they played, even something like second clarinet. Not everybody can be Charles Dickens, but try to give the deceased a real, personalized, and nice send off in print

The Basement

Sitting in the corner
of my small basement

at an old desk  

a phone connected to nothing 

I keep it there 

as a memory; 

memories of innocent 

quiet conversations 

long ago 

late at night 

with lasses 

while rain was tapping 

at the small 

basement windows 

like my youth ticking away

the miscellaneous sawdust 

tools scattered about 

assorted drill bits

a broken radio

an oil drum

from another era

my old world of

comfortable friends 

Room 421

went to a social event
at a swanky hotel

this evening 

that I was invited to 

by a friend

couldn’t get out of it

met an interesting woman 

German she was

t a l l

sad looking

world weary

we were both

looking to escape

we had a sense of being 

on the same frequency 

her ability to drink 

a copious amount 

of schnapps 

was quite impressive 

quite staggering…literally 

we left

grabbed some pizza

to go

to room 421

we made 

our own party

Mid-January Haiku

neighbor’s house is dark
maybe out for a dinner

or at a friend’s house 

mid-january 

some christmas lights are still on

holding on to joy

it’s been twenty years

since she died so needlessly 

a drink in her honor

Noren Curtains

Noren curtains are often seen in Japan in places of business and in homes. For businesses, they’re hung outside to indicate that they are open and they help to dress things up outside by providing a little color. Both businesses and homes use them to provide some privacy and it’s said that Noren curtains give protection from bad spirits that may be circulating about. We can all use some more protection from those guys. The only spirits I want in my house besides friendly ones, are the ones that come in bottles and have names like Jack Daniels or Jim Beam.