William Lobb's Blog, page 10

This Is Not OK

This not not about taking sides. This is not about Trump vs Biden. This is about the wife of a sitting Supreme Court judge actively working to undermine what is largely viewed as the cornerstone of this nations alleged democracy. The sanctity of the vote and election process. I don’t believe in much with regard […]

What Pete Says About War

Far off through some long forgotten fog; words trapped inside my skull, I hear Cronkite’s voice over a staticky tube radio. I hear the boom and recoil of very old guns. I hear Pete’s voice. Pete spent his entire tour of duty in Vietnam tripping on acid. He turned to heroin when he came back […]

Tomato Soup

I just ate a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup for the first time in a very long time. My big sister, who I always called my baby sister, used to make grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup on Saturdays, in the winter, while she taught me about Elvis and the Beatles and rock and […]

Unplugged and Alive

My dad had a deep and abiding love of shade and ’51 Ford Shoebox convertible vent windows. I’m quite sure he never slept a night of his life in air conditioning. While I never did come across bad shade, I accompanied him many days on the quest for good shade. Expansive oak trees seemed to […]

My Friend Henry is Dead

My friend Henry is dead. I just heard. Looking back it’s been thirty years since we last spoke. Henry was not Polish, he was a “Fucking, black dirt, Polock.” He made that clear to anyone who was confused. He had a bad temper, and he liked to fight. He may be the only guy I […]

Pine Boughs and Wrenches from a Walk in the Woods

It wasn’t always like this, the rush and commotion and panic and dread of something so meaningless. No, it was simpler, because it was a simpler time. A scary a-bomb time, but simpler. The season was shorter and It was less important, because it isn’t important at all. It was a holiday. A man could […]

Veterans Day

One of the toughest and bravest guys I ever met spent the Battle of the Bulge, WWII, shitting his pants, literally. He was a 19 year old gunnery sergeant from Chester, NY. The most anti-war person I’ve ever met. He didn’t want to go to war, he wanted to milk cows and play basketball and […]

Immigrants

I know this kid named Oz. He’s from Honduras. One of the finest young men I’ve ever known. A good, solid, honest and decent and trustworthy man. At one point in his life he was “illegal,” he’s now a proud American citizen . My friend Carlos, he was illegal too, he’s been a citizen since […]

Time…

Abandoned train stations, old barns, houses like this write their own stories. How fast did the fall come. On one hour, on one day, did one single event cause everything that once was solid and stable to fall, leaving only ruin. Everything has a breaking point. Maybe time is just abrasive and caustic. What caused […]

Time…

There is no laughter like the laughter shared with an old friend, with your oldest and longest running friend. The guy that’s been there with you through it all, with you and for you every step of the way for over sixty years. So many wars have worked to end us, never succeeding. I had […]