The Alone Days #pros#shortstory

I remember the walk from my small apartment, which was located upstairs in a renovated barn, down main street, over the Connecticut River via the Sunderland/Deerfield bridge, and up Sugarloaf Mountain.

Those were some of the most dense, somber, elevating and awakening times of my life. I was a bachelor. I spent most of my time alone. The Holidays were difficult. I didn’t like them.

I’d hike up the trails to the summit and sometimes I’d hide in the woods- off the beaten path. I’d watch the river and think about the town below. I’d try and find my barn/apartment. Depending on the foliage, and time of year, I could.

It was very close to this location where I saw my first tornado. It was also just up the river where I found myself.

It’s hard to believe I took this photo, with an old cell phone, in 2012.

Now, I love Christmas. And all the rest of them too.

-M. Taggart

It’s probably nothing

Something seems unsettling about this photo. I just stepped onto my deck to take it with my cell phone. And, I don’t know, something seems off about it.

My mind is playing tricks on me.

Hope you all have a good night,

Matt

Photo taken at roughly 9:50 PM EST on 2/25/24.

Poems- And a Promise

“That it will never come again is what
makes life so sweet.” -Emily Dicksinson

***

Life-
It’ll last so much longer
If you love yourself

-M. Taggart

I’ve been looking for a poem to hide mine under. This one works for me.

poem

It’s not too dark to see
It never has been

-M. Taggart

(Photo taken in Westerly, RI)

As if, they want us dead.

People are dangerously unhappy

If the World’s Governments are trying
to prepare us to be afraid of Aliens

They’ve missed the point

In America
Grocery costs have risen to the
point where people are buying less

The Land of the ultimate consumer?

This is being reported by companies
that sell to Giants like Walmart

The average cost of a vehicle payment
is over $700 per month

People are paying cash for homes in the
mountains- still running from Covid

TikTok feeds are showing
more truth than any major media outlet
ever has

And people are pissed-off

Do they really think that the table they are setting
is the table we’ll sit at?

Their table with rotten roots
Rotten roots stamped
with social security numbers

-M. Taggart

Tree of Light

I took this photo on a bad day. I had a lot of bad days over the past 3 plus years before finally being able to remove the shackles that bound me.

I fully believe in the miracles of willing things into reality. I’ve done it repeatedly throughout my life. However, when legalities are involved, it’s different. And while I don’t believe in controlling ‘things’ this situation was literally out of my control. I had faith and and finally my faith was rewarded.

All I could do was my duty. My word. I did that. I did what I said I’d do.

I drove by this tree thousands of times. Mostly with a heavy heart. But, I knew I’d get this photo. And when the timing was right, I finally did.

I feel blessed to have witnessed this. Somehow that sad, proud, tree proving that I’d get the shot I was looking for, helped to sooth the miles that I had logged.

There was one vehicle behind me. Once they were out of sight, it was between that tree, myself, and the sky.

Thank you for reading.

-Matt

I’m real, he’s real, we’re all….well maybe not. #pros

Success and failure. Obviously, I’ve been a part of both. And like anything else, failure has been a large part of my writing.

Often though, life success comes during moments like this photo. To simply be a father. To me, the best parenting advice in the world is this: Be there.

Don’t be perfect. Don’t dress perfectly, or say all of the right things, just be there. The smile on his face is worth more than any gray whiskers that’ll take over the black. None of that matters. Plus, I like the silver. It’s real. And I like his helmet, it’s cool!

It’s embarrassing for me to post this. And for all the wrong reasons. No one would ever know- so, I’m going to share it with you.

This photo was taken a number of months after I had surgery on my left elbow, bicep, and bicep tendon. I hadn’t yet been able to ‘work-out’ enough to bring the bicep further down and into a ‘normal’ position.

How pathetic. I’ve held onto this photo waiting to share it. I love how happy Gavin is and that the photo exists.

Yet, I didn’t because I didn’t like how my arm looks. But isn’t that just it? So many times, we keep ourselves down by playing the negativity game within our minds. And now that my arm is back to ‘normal’ after thousands of hours of lifting…now that no one can see that, now I’m ready to share this?

It’s all part of the great ride of life. Now that I feel good, I’m willing to share what’s not ‘perfect’…and yet, I know so very well, that perfect doesn’t exist.

I have a long way to go. I have a lot of work to do. But I’m getting there.

I’m thankful to have Gavin help me to get over myself. And Gavin, when you read this, I tell you that I love you randomly so that you might have all of those memories floating around during the difficult time that you’ll be up against when I’m there to help you.

Stay humble, be warm, and have fun out there!

Matt

Journaling? #pros

I really need to put time into my ‘about’ and ‘published work’ page. I keep putting it off.

Kind of like mowing the lawn in the dog-days of summer.

It’s there. Looking at me. Growing every day. And when I drive away from my house, I can’t help but notice it. Looking at me. Even from down the road.

Now that I’ve written that I need to update these things, maybe it’ll become closer to happening.

Maybe.

I know this much- I’m lucky to have an ‘about’ page, and lucky to have published work.

Anyway, I’ve noticed a few views on my “about” and my “published work” lately. -They are way outa-date, and I’m aware 🙂

This post reminds me of a journal entry that I’ve never had before. That, being a journal, but now it’s here and I like it. Because what’s here if it isn’t here? Or there.

Have fun out there!

And remember: You don’t need permission to live your life.

Matt

I Wanted to be Home – #short story #true

It was just after 3AM, and I finally knew that I was going to make it home. I had nearly gone off the road near South Portland. That was a few hours ago.

It was one of those drives, one of those moments, where you realize you made the wrong decision. Yet, there was nothing you could do about it. You have to continue on; white knuckling your way through life.

I told myself that I should have stayed at the hotel, all while knowing that I was never going to do that. The moment I stepped off the train I knew I’d be clearing my truck off an driving the backroads to home.

The hotel was only a few miles from where I parked my truck. Why would I do that when I could sleep in my own bed. All I had to do was live.

I pulled into a few gas stations. All of them were closed. No coffee. The further from the city I drove, the more remote the region became. The winter storm pounded away. I kept telling myself that in a half an hour I’d be at ‘X’ location and so on.

Besides the random snowplow, I was the only vehicle that I saw. Further hammering home the point of my stupidity.

When I finally knew that I was going to make it home, I stopped my truck, rolled down the window, and took a photo. Dark nights on backroads carry with them their own magic. Their own set of feelings, and their own rules. I don’t know any of them.

-M. Taggart

Poorly timed photo taken in the winter of 2023

Poem

I like it about
how Gavin turns to wave to me
after I drop him off at school

I blink to capsulize
the moment, best I can

I don’t ask him to do this
I can only hope to provide
him with the same feeling
he’s given me

-M. Taggart