Next up ...

I performed for the first time in decades in a coffee house concert back om March 31. My set consisted of :

"I’m Gonna Live ‘til the Day I Die" (original)
"Bottle of Wine" (Tom Paxton)
"Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport" (Rolf Harris)
"I Am Going Home" (original)
"Oh, Sinner Man" (traditional)
"There’s a Great Big Monster Under My Bed" (original)
"Walking Down the Line" (Bob Dylan)
"Get Up and Go" (Pete Seeger)

I've been thinking of doing more. This Tuesday the local folk society has a sing around at which everyone does a song or two, I've been practicing some songs, two of which I'm considering: "Never Ending Song of Love" (Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett), and an original I've been working on, "Lilacs in Season". The "Lilacs" song is fitting as our city hosts a Lilac Festival every year, and we are currently in the midst of it.

I've been practicing a few other songs that might be added to a future set.

"Well May the World Go" (Pete Seeger)
"Helpless" (Neil Young)
"Morning Has Broken" (Eleanor Farjeon)
"How Can I Keep From Singing (traditional)
"There's a Place in the World for a Gambler" (Dan Fogelberg)
"Lonely People" (America)
"I Shall Be Released" (Bob Dylan)

The first group and these new songs would give me more than an hour's set. I've been practicing more and more, so my voice - and my fingers - can hold up.

Do I see myself playing out a couple of times a week or at bars/brew houses? No. And to make money? No. More likely, occasional coffee house settings or open mic nights will be my limit.

Which is fine by me. I just enjoy it.

Pax et bonum

I Am Third

At Mass this morning the priest in his homily mentioned a gift he received when he was first ordained.

An elderly woman had cross-stitched a small rectangle with the words "I AM THIRD". He asked her what she meant, and she explained that for a Christian God comes first, other people come second, and the person comes third. He noted that the theology she expressed was more profound than anything he could articulate, and it's a message he's tried to keep in mind in his priestly ministry.

That part of his homily has stuck with me all day.

As a dad and husband, the message made sense to me. I would always make sure my family's needs were met first. I would make sure they were served first at meals, for example. I would buy new shoes or clothing for my children before I would buy any for myself. I always tried to think of ways to make life easier for my wife, even if it meant sacrificing in some ways on my part. When watching television, for example, I might have wanted to watch a baseball game, but if there was something on she wanted to watch, we'd watch what she wanted and I wouldn't say anything. I once even turned down a good-paying job that would have taken me away for extended periods of time and kept me from being there for my children's school events, Scouts, and so on. Family came first.  

But Father was right: The elderly woman's message was theologically more profound than just being a good dad.

God has to come first. Above job. Above sports. Above sleeping in on Sundays. Above ambition and compromising. 

Then other people - family, but others as well - come next. 

I've always tried to live that way but have failed at times. The homily was a good reminder.

Pax et bonum

Mysteries

I am a fan of mysteries and police procedurals, but with certain caveats.

I don't like mysteries with graphic violence, sex and immorality, excessive foul language, and pervasive cynicism. And I find the "Hallmark" kind of mysteries aimed at women to be kind of boring. 

I prefer the old-fashioned mysteries, and what is sometimes called cosies. 

Part of the attraction for me is that in a world tainted by evil the best mysteries have good defeating some of that evil. There is a sense of justice, and in some of the good ones (like the Father Brown ones or those of Fiorella De Maria), of possible repentance. 

One of my quibbles with some of the Agatha Christie ones is that the killer is given a chance to commit suicide. Perhaps in a British mind that is viewed as an "honorable" way of bringing about justice, but I find it unsatisfying.

And there are mysteries where the plots repeat some of the same elements - like when the protagonists keep repeating the same mistakes, as if they never learn or grow.  

I like the Father Brown mysteries, Dorothy Sayers' mysteries, some of Agatha Christie's novels. I also like the Navajo mysteries of Tony Hillerman. I have enjoyed the Father Gabriel mysteries of Fiorella De Maria.

One problem for me is that I've read all of the Father Browns, all of the Sayers, all of the Hillermans, all the De Maria. 

Yeah, when I find a writer I like I tend to read everything by that writer that I can find.

While I have mentioned some of the writers whose works I like, there is one book by another author that I really liked: The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (Elizabeth MacKintosh). It deals with a contemporary investigator exploring the alleged killing of the Princes by King Richard III. It's an intelligent, well-crafted book.

So, who do I read now?

I'd like to read more of Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael mysteries. I'll have to scour the local libraries to find more. De Maria is still young, so there will hopefully be more Father Gabriel books to come. And there are many Christie's I have not yet read.

Out of curiosity, I looked back over my lists of books read in the past six years - post retirement - to see who I have read. I discovered 82 titles!

Meanwhile, here's a mostly complete list of mysteries/police procedurals I've read since 2020.

The Scandal of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton

The Secret of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton

“The Donnington Affair” by G. K. Chesterton

“The Vampire of the Village” by G. K. Chesterton

The Incredulity of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton

The Innocence of Father Brown by G. K, Chesterton

Trent’s Last Case by E. C. Bentley

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (Elizabeth MacKintosh)

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

Missing, Presumed Lost by Fiorella De Maria

May Day!  by Fiorella De Maria 

The Vanishing Woman by Fiorella De Maria

See No Evil by Fiorella De Maria

Death of a Scholar by Fiorella De Maria

The Sleeping Witness by Fiorella De Maria

The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy Sayers  

Have His Carcase by Dorothy Sayers

Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers

Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers

Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers

The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy Sayers

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy Sayers

The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers

Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers

Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers

Talking God by Tony Hillerman

Coyote Waits by Tony Hillerman

Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman

A Thief of Time  by Tony Hillerman

People of Darkness by Tony Hillerman

The Ghostway by Tony Hillerman

Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman

The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman

Listening Woman by Tony Hillerman

The Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman

The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman

The Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman

Skeleton Man by Tony Hillerman

The Sinister Pig by Tony Hillerman

The Wailing Wind  by Tony Hillerman

Hunting Badger by Tony Hillerman

The First Eagle by Tony Hillerman

Curtain by Agatha Christie

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie

A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie

The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie

The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

The Holy Thief by Ellis Peters

Dead Man’s Ransom by Ellis Peters

An Excellent Mystery by Ellis Peters

The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

Rough Cider by Peter Lovesey

The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

In the Woods by Tana French

All the Dead Heroes by Stephen F. Wilcox

A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes by “Carolyn Keene”

Maigret on the Defensive by Georges Simenon

Twice Buried by Steven Havill

Out of Season by Steven Havill

Before She Dies by Steven F. Havill

Murder in the Lincoln White House by C. M. Gleason

Murder at the Capitol by C. M. Gleason

Winter’s Child by Margaret Coel

Killing Custer by Margaret Coel

The Spirit Woman by Margaret Coel

Advent of Dying by Sister Carol Anne O’Marie

Requiem at the Refuge by Sister Carol Anne O’Marie

Sine Qua Nun by Monica Quill (Ralph M. McInerny)

Last Things by Ralph McInerny

Thistles and Thieves by Molly MacRae

The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton

The Loch Ness Papers by Paige Shelton

Pax et bonum

Pope Leo

Pope Leo Warns of ‘Systematic Persecution’ as Nigeria’s Christian Communities Face Mass Killings

ByNews Desk

November 20, 2025

Pope Leo XIV on Nigeria: ‘Christians and Muslims have been slaughtered’

• Hannah Brockhaus
• via EWTN
• 19.11.25

January 11, 2026, alluding to the Iranian regime's killing of protesters - “My thoughts turn to the situation currently unfolding in the Middle East, especially in Iran and Syria, where ongoing tensions continue to claim many lives,” the pontiff said during the Angelus, a prayer designed to commemorate the mystery of Jesus’ Incarnation, while addressing the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

“I hope and pray that dialogue and peace may be patiently nurtured in pursuit of the common good of the whole of society.”

Pope Leo XIV condemns violence in Iran, Syria, and Ukraine

• Victoria Cardiel
• via EWTN
• 12.01.2

Pope Leo XIV Calls for Peace as Vatican Warns of Christian Persecution

• Andreas Thonhauser
• via EWTN
• 15.03.26

Pope Leo on DRC attack: I pray for persecuted Christians

In the wake of the deadly attack on a church in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Pope Leo XIV launches an impassioned appeal for all efforts to be made to prevent such tragedies, and reassures all Christians suffering violence and persecution that he is praying for them.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov"I renew my deep sorrow for the brutal terrorist attack that took place during the night of July 26 to 27 in Komanda, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where more than forty Christians were killed in church during a prayer vigil and in their own homes."

Pope Leo XIV: ‘The Church does not tolerate antisemitism’

• Courtney Mares
• via EWTN
• 30.10.25

Pax et bonum

American Pontiff

I stopped by the local public library and spotted a book about Pope Leo XIV on the new bookshelf - American Pontiff: Pope Leo XIV and His Plan to Heal the Church by Paul Kengor, Ph.D.

On the front cover there was the declaration that it is "The Definitive Biography".

I checked it out, wanting to know more about our relatively new Pope, who was elected May 8, 2025.

The book does give some background about him and his beliefs, and some details about his election, with some plausible speculation about the factors that helped to lead to his surprise election. But it is hardly a "definitive" biography. The coverage of his life prior to his election seemed less than comprehensive.

Indeed, the book reads like something that was quickly thrown together, perhaps of pieces written separately then just combined. Kengor keeps repeating explanations and comments as if introducing them in separate articles. There's even a glaring error of referring to pro-abortion politicians like Senator Dick Durbin as pro-life! And the book seemed padded with asides about other figures.

It needed some editing. 

Moreover, Kengor spends an inordinate amount of time criticizing Pope Francis. Given some of the people he repeatedly cites - and who endorsed the book - it quickly became clear that he is of the more conservative wing of Catholicism. Yes, Pope Francis had issues and made some poor decisions, but there was no need to keep bringing them up again and again. 

The title should have been a dead giveaway of the nature of the book and Kengor's leanings.  

It's not a bad book, just flawed and unbalanced. I think the "definitive biography" is yet to be written. 

Pax et bonum

Stations of the Cross for Life

As we have for many years, on Good Friday we took part in the Stations of the Cross for Life.

 

The Stations were preceded by a prayer service. We then processed, saying the Stations, finishing them in front of Planned Parenthood.  

The Stations included prayers about a variety of life issues, including not only abortion, but also euthanasia, the death penalty, unjust war, poverty, abuse, immigration, and so on.

Our banner was reflected in Planned Parenthood's windows. 

Pax et bonum

Lilacs in Season

I rediscovered a song I'd partly written back in 1979. Here's what I have at this point:

Lilacs in season, that's a good reason for singing this song.

Beauty surrounds me like the love that you give me, keeping me strong.

Up in the hills, fragrant with flowers,

Green life erupting, in what seemed like dead land.

Children are dancing, bright in the sunlight,

whirling and twirling, games hand in hand.

Chorus

Summer's the living, autumn's the harvest,

Winter's the pause, and spring is the promise

I have been searching, for just the right words

But all becomes clear, in a May sunrise. 

Chorus

Radios playing, a band in the distance,

birds sing along, above in the trees.

worshippers gather, to honor the sun,

each tree's a Maypole, with lovers beneath.

Chorus

Walking together, while holding hands

we come to share, God's gift of creation.

Praise for the beauty, praise for all life

that gives us a reason, for this celebration.

I came up with a tune. I just need to smooth out the lyrics. I will be singing it over and over, finding what words and lines word best.  

Pax et bonum

The Golden Link Concert

As I had noted previously, I was invited to perform at a members’ concert by the Golden Link Folk Singing Society - one of the oldest ones in the nation.

The concert was last night.

A good crowd came out despite torrential rain (more than 2 inches fell!).

There were three sets - two solo (including mine), and one with a trio. We each got half an hour.

I performed eight songs. Three of them were originals - “I’m Gonna Live Til the Day I Die”, “I Am Going Home”, and “There’s a Great Big Monster Under My Bed”. The last song was from my days as a children’s performer.

I also did Tom Paxton’s “Bottle of Wine”, Bob Dylan’s “Walking Down the Line”, Pete Seeger’s “Get Up and Go”, and an old spiritual, “Sinner Man”.

Except for providing music for church or religious groups, I had not performed before an audience for at least 15 years. It was fun getting up on stage again!

Pax et bonum

Performing at Golden Link

Pax et bonum

Elizabeth Barrett Browning Clerihew in Gilbert

Gilbert magazine graciously published one of my clerihews in its March/April issue. 

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

sat in her parlor frowning.

Robert had bought her something labeled "Serra da Estrela cheese,"

that clearly wasn't Portuguese.

By way of explanation, Elizabeth Barrett Browning is famous for her collection of 44 love sonnets, Sonnets from the Portuguese. "My little Portuguese" was a pet name given her by her husband, Robert Browning. The sonnets were her love poems to and inspired by him.

Serra da Estrela cheese is a special kind of cheese made in Portugal. Under the name "Queijo Serra da Estrela" it is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in the European Union and in the United Kingdom.

Here's one of the most famous sonnets in the collection

How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning 

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Pax et bonum

In Scifaikuest February 2026

Two of my poems made it into the February 2026 issue of Scifaikuest - 

honeymoon coin toss
to decide which will be which
shapeshifter resort


his last transmission
stopping to smell the roses
carnivorous plants 

Pax et bonum

Do You Love Me?

I'm not a big fan of musicals, but one that I like is Fiddler on the Roof. I saw it on Broadway, and I've seen the movie several times. Most recently, I read the text with the songs included. 

As an actor, one of the roles I would have loved to have played is Tevye. Alas, I'm now too old for the part, and I doubt I had the singing and dancing chops needed for the part anyway. If I ever did audition for the musical I would likely have ended up as the Rabbi, Lazar Wolf, or Nahum the beggar.

One of my favorite songs in Fiddler is "Do You Love Me". Tevye Is singing the song with his wife, Golde. He asks her if she loves him, and her response includes the fact that they've been married for 25 years, she's washed his clothes, given him children, milked the cow, fought with him, starved with him, shared her bed with him, etc.

TEVYE: Then you love me?

GOLDE: I suppose I do.

They do love each other. But their love is not just a feeling. It's a choice. That's what love really is. It's a choice made each day. A commitment that is honored. 

Oddly enough, after I finished reading that play, I read another that deals with a marriage, A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen. 

In that play, there is a troubled marriage between Nora and Helmer. Neither of them is perfect. He tends to be controlling, and also spoils her, treating her like a child. But she is also deceptive, secretive, and child-like. They don't really know or understand each other. But they have been married for eight years and have three children. Without giving away all the details, Nora decides she is leaving him and the children.

She declares that she does not love him, even though he has been kind to her. Despite his pleas and his willingness to try to improve and work at the marriage, she is adamant. 

Helmer says she is betraying her most sacred duty.

NORA: What do you consider that to be?

HELMER: Your duty to your husband and your children - I surely don't have to tell you that!

NORA: I've another duty just as sacred.

HELMER: Nonsense! What duty to you mean?

NORA: My duty towards myself.

Forget others. Forget commitment. Me. It's all about me.

This attitude infects our culture. This selfishness helps to lead people to refuse to commit, to serial short-term sexual relationships, to divorces, to desertions. It is why so many find themselves unable to choose love. Or to find love. Or to understand what love really is.

It's the kind self-love displayed in Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir Eat, Pray, Love - a book I've always referred to as Eat, Prey, Fornicate. Oh, by the way, in real life her selfish sexual adventures left a wake of damaged relationships and individuals.  

As for me, I would rather have the kind of mature love shown by Tevye and Golde.

Pax et bonum

The Ballad of Yukon Jack

Back in the late 1970's, Dave, with whom I had been friends since grade school, moved to the city where I was living to earn a master's degree. Since we were both musicians (of sorts) we started jamming. We talked about playing out as a duo, and even once did so at a local coffee house.

As part of our practicing, he helped me finish a song I had already mostly written, "Maggie Was a Boozer".  Then we collaborated on a silly song based on my brother John. John had moved to Alaska in the 1970's to work on the oil pipeline, then remained there.

I don't recall which of us started calling him "Yukon Jack," but the name tickled our fancies and inspired "The Ballad of Yukon Jack".

 The Ballad of Yukon Jack

This is the ballad of Yukon Jack

living in the Arctic in a one-room shack.

Moved to the woods to start a new life

trying to escape a nagging wife.

Now he's alone and feeling blue

sitting by the fire warming his shoes.

To keep himself from getting mean,

he dreams of chowing on pork and beans.

This is the ballad of Yukon Jack,

starving in the cold in that one-room shack.

Poor old Jack he's in dire straits,

was forced to eat his fishing bait.

To keep himself warm, burned his last log.

and at dinner time eyed his old sled dog.

To keep himself from getting mean,

he dreams of chowing on pork and beans.

To finish the ballad of Yukon Jack,

the bank repossessed his one-room shack.

A grizzly bear, big brown and mean,

ate his entire supply of pork and beans.

The moral of the story is easily seen:

Never rely just on pork and beans.

If you move to the Yukon, take a stash,

of good old-fashioned American hash.

It might taste awful,

but it's better than eating dog.

Okay, it's not a classic. But it was fun.

We did perform "Maggie," but we never got to inflict "Yukon Jack" on the public.

Sadly, my brother was murdered in 1983 shortly after we wrote the song. And then Dave finished grad school, moved to Texas, and became a teacher, then a principal. He kept trying to get me to move there to teach, but I never did.  He died of a heart attack in 2016. 

I miss both of them.

Pax et bonum