they let the keyboard player go

          

August 10 • 2026

Sometimes I make a list of titles to kickstart myself, like they had to let the keyboard player go because he wouldn't play the right chords. The lead singer had to shout his name, Gary! Gary! Gary! to remind him it was his turn. And still, he comes in late. Gary was sad about being let go, who isn't, and asked for a second chance. 

The only problem ~ he'd been with the band since January.

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It's been a seasonal affective disorder kind of summer which is why all I can muster is a scrap of titles. SAD = instead of icy, cold, dark at 4:00 ~ it's dusty, dry and extremely hot which is why I long to watch Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood with my daughters. We'd curl up on the sofa with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cold milk, a handful of goldfish crackers. Except when your kid turns 45 and lives on the east coast, that's not realistic. And the baby, @ 26, lives an hour south and works full-time. 🐠 

I'm pretty sure, if they were here, they'd watch with me 

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Be like Wolfgang is the young guy at Trader Joe's, always smiling, a healing orb of a human being stacking apples or bags of celery. When he's ringing people up at the cash register, I go through his lane. Even if there's a line. Besides needing bananas every couple of days, my frequent shopping outings are to orbit around his light. 

Besides, it's freezing there and makes me think of winter. 

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Scratched in my daily planner for August is:

artists are people who suffer when they don't do their work, true. 

and...

spotted towhee. look on the ground and listen for shuffling leaves.

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XO b 🐝

                       Jesse 🎂