Category Archives: plague years

2020, digital archive, Ohio River Valley Literature, plague years, poetry, the no-scape, Working Class Literature

digital archive: 27 June 2020

During the height of the pandemic, I worked in a day shelter for homeless men. We were limiting the number of men and rotating each hour to get as many in as possible to get a shower and access what limited services were available. The shelter is located in an old Catholic Church in downtown Louisville, KY.

Most people don’t realize that certain kinds of madness are communicable. Some days, it would bounce around, off the old altar, the high gothic-inspired ceilings, the faded portraits of saints looking down. Some days, I felt like I dodged it. Most days, I knew I didn’t. Madness ran in tandem with rampant beauty.

Now I just try and keep the madness to myself as best I can and share the beauty.

The entirety of this poem, inspired by conversations in the shelter, is part of an unpublished poetry mss., Life on Venus.

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everyday words, fiction, microfiction, Ohio River Valley Literature, plague years

of signs n rumors of signs

Outside of Murfreesboro at a truck stop. I paid cash for an Apple Danish and an ill-advised ham and turkey sandwich. The woman at the checkout was complaining about the lack of spare change. I told her about the quarter shortage and how no one is spending it, and how a lot of businesses moved to cashless payments. She shook her head and said “Lord yes. It’s true. That’s in the Bible.” She told me to be careful as I left. She was very earnest.

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