Author Archives: Jonathan Berger

Choices, choices, all the time. Once, two roads lay before me, and each one, a father and a son, each offering a path home. The father said the road on the left would be the best way back. The son, … Continue reading →

Love died softly in the night when he thought selfishly instead of for others. Rather than consider how they might get home, he considered the easiest route for himself and offered no one a ride. In this way, his kindness … Continue reading →

My girlfriend from Canada really exists, no matter what she says. She’s coming down from Montreal any week, and looks really hot in a fez. She argues, “No, I’m not! You made me up! I’m only words on a screen!” … Continue reading →

If you think about it, Her Majesty really had a lot to say. Even if it wasn’t really all with words, Her Majesty was really quite telling and continues to be, even after all this time. That is all.

They say you shouldn’t eat cicadas raw, which, to me, defeats the purpose. You’ve waited 17 years to eat the thing, and now you want me to wait to cook it? Nah, I just want to open my mouth and … Continue reading →

We write, saying nothing, day after year on through the decades maintaining strands made sinew, holding on to what was good made better.

They correct me, softly, when I misspeak, about class issues, like a child who must be taught about these weighty matters. It is frustrating to wear waders in these conversations, at this age, living in derelict neighborhoods for thirty years, … Continue reading →

"I so want to help you, but I don’t know how." "The effort costs more than you may choose to pay." (Knowing what she said was hard to disavow:) "Goddamn! Those are pretty painful words to say." "I wouldn’t say … Continue reading →

To get to sleep at night, make yourself sleep at night. Work at it. Earn it. Tire yourself out. Walk the extra megamile. Exercise further/faster/more furiously. Read yourself sick. Excite yourself near exhaustion. Stimulate yourself beyond belief. Make it so … Continue reading →

Joy sometimes seems beyond me like I’m just riding along, a viewer rather than a participant. I was distantly aware of the game I was at today. It was a chilly experience. I wonder how I could have felt further … Continue reading →