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"From the Left wing to the Right wing, Can’t you hear us sing Resentment Songs? The politics of protest, From the Angry North and Bitter South And Wild and Crazy West. We like our truth only half-undressed." -JM

"It's Good to Know,"  "Disenthralled, " and "To the Ticking Clock"--all found on the pages of "Sabal Palm-Selected Writings" by Jim McGinnis

* you can find  Seven Times in my new collection, "Sabal Palm."  This one's about dogs...and humans. Hope you like it--  "...Spirit animals Lost and found, Hanging with me, hanging ‘round— Island dogs, Mountain dogs, And everything in between. They swim in any  water—muddy, brackish,  Blue, or green.  Run joyfully through any weather—  Beats all I’ve ever seen. They all love truck rides through town  With the windows down, And boat rides to the spoils Islands...

A conversation with Jim McGinnis after his recent release of Sabal Palm--a compilation of poetry and stories—much of which he's written over the past two years.  ...Reflections, musings, and writings from the ragged but ever-growing collection of this old Floridian.

"...I was rescued for a while, at least By a recollection running around my brain— The image of a  girl on a yellow bicycle Singing softly an old John Prine refrain.

es, there is a moral in there.  Maybe  the Pledge shouldn't read "liberty and justice for all" but rather "liberty and justice for each." So, it may or may not be  my best work (I'm fond of it), but perhaps it contains my most important message. I hope it makes you think. "...once upon returning to a place Shared knowingly with other folk—Within sight of someone else’s chimney smoke, I must willfully concede Limits to my independence. As did my ancestors, And so it goes with me and my descendants.  As a member of the  human race, I must decide to act in such a way Relevant to anyone With whom I share a space..."   -JM

"Jefferson on the Porch" I was sitting on the back porch pondering Eliot’s treason, Reading just my second book, of this, the hurricane season. Again, it dealt with Jefferson—and yet another look At America. My attention shifted First, to the brown dog lying at my feet And then to all my summer chores That would take me out into the heat. But then back again to the great Virginian. Something kept me there in front of the fan Planted in my seat....

a bit of an introduction for a lot of you, to one of the most creative souls I know—Tamara Fernandez. Her  beautiful illustrations that help tell this little story we call "Good Dog Loose." But this is just small chapter of her story.

"Let me introduce myself. I’m your grandfather. I come and sit here at your grave beneath this ancient oak." I heard a guitar player say once, “It’s all about the blues, man…we sing the blues so we don’t have the blues.” But I think some blues are made to stick around, and I don’t mind that. This is for my daughter, Meagan and her boy, Tiernan.

"Rootholds" dedicated to my mentor, Mr. Jim Lepper

An unexpected encounter

Where are we now? Where are we headed, blue-eyed son? Ah, we know the way somehow By dead reckoning—From distance and direction already traveled, From stories and songs already sung. Voices beckoning Around turns and bends far flung.

September 21 - Anticipation dances with memory.

Another Florida story--"a place gives up its nature only after hard usage" Hope you like it. -JM

Again, we need to remember the value of history. Tending to the Past revisited-With all the humility I can muster, I believe what is happening between us right now is a symptom of our national amnesia…or maybe worse, our cynical habit of cherry-picking the parts of history that serve us. 

Unstuck There he was, out on the porch When I pulled up. CR didn’t seem to notice me. He rocked away the summer morning With his German Shepherd pup, Slowly sipping on his tea With the spoon still in his cup. “You’ll put your eye out,” I warned him But he didn’t seem to care. He just patted the dog and sang a song To someone who wasn’t there: Jeannie won’t you lay with me And scratch my back a while, Whisper in my ear Sweet things that make me smile Ever since he quit the booze He sits out here and reads the news And worries about his country. CR flies a little flag on a stick taped to the lamppost, A Christmas wreath still graced the door. Finding nothing to fall back on, He drops the paper on the floor. “Sean,” he said, “They’re taking books right off the shelf And I don’t feel so good myself.” Staring out into the sunburned lawn, He kept on rocking, rocking on, still talking— “A bobcat killed the rooster down at Honest John’s.” I wasn’t sure of what to say or just how I should respond But I promised I would buy him a flag of decent size. He told me not to bother And wiped the water from his eyes. “I figure anybody who can fly a great big flag Can fly a great small one,” he said, Gazing out towards my pickup truck. “A little girl gave me that one At the Veterans Day parade. She sat down right beside me on the curb And drank her lemonade. We spoke of kindness, love, and beauty In the universe displayed.” Then he sang another song: Billy Pilgrim they will burn you, Just you wait and see. It seems you’ve made the list Of Moms for Liberty. Guilty of the heinous crime Of coming all unstuck in time, Billy, you’ve been a friend to me. “Is that you, CR? Coming all unstuck?”  

Remembering the career of a great coach, great teacher, great friend.

Updated Version. It's safe to say that our endings and beginnings have a tendency to get all tangled up. This is a good example--this work has 40 years in it. I thought I finished it a few months ago, but no. As I've said before (smiling), I think it’s finished now, and  I hope it moves you in some strange way.

He kept playing for a few minutes, then muttered something else about wide open spaces. Somebody needs to hold on—to remember. "The idea, the dark man said, is one we can’t forget just because we can’t live up to it."  It’s no load to carry.

Floridian is a story about a few folks who are dear to me--particularly Shelby Strother and Brian Karcher. Thank you.