4 days agoPSALM FOR A PUPPYPSALM FOR A PUPPY By John Thomas Tuft I cannot remember a single day that I would call a happy one for my father. To the world, especially in the churches that he served, he appeared to be a paragon of puritanical protestant rectitude. I have spoken of him elsewhere…Love5 min readLove5 min read
May 26THE SINNER’S PRAYERTHE SINNER’S PRAYER By John Thomas Tuft Kathy Weatherby’s third grade class was just getting into their reading circles when the shooting began. If you are feeling uncomfortable reading these words, imagine how these fellow humans felt in the middle of this random, violent, senseless act of killing ten-year-olds; in…Love4 min readLove4 min read
May 20IT’S NOT ABOUT YOUIT’S NOT ABOUT YOU By John Thomas Tuft Wheaton was determined that this would become his novaturient moment. He simply was not happy with the way things were going in his life. Big changes were needed, and by God, he was going to make them. But first…! He needed to…Love4 min readLove4 min read
May 11CHAOS AND CANTICLESCHAOS AND CANTICLES By John Thomas Tuft Christine and Robert met in college. In the world of contagious delusions known as social media, it was not a particularly auspicious beginning. He liked her post about a puppy who liked to watch trains and left the comment, “Pup-pup enjoys choo-choo.” Christine…Love4 min readLove4 min read
May 5BRACHIATE OR BREAKBRACHIATE OR BREAK By John Thomas Tuft I was brachiating when I broke my first bone. Five years old, midweek of the annual family vacation at Camp Lambec on the shores of Lake Erie, first grade awaiting as soon as we got home, I was eagerly demonstrating my new skill…Love4 min readLove4 min read
Apr 29WHERE DRAGONS SLEEPWHERE DRAGONS SLEEP By John Thomas Tuft Jessie slid into the back seat of the Uber car, fastened the seat belt, her eyes fixed on the screen of her phone the entire time. She felt the car move forward and cast a quick glance at the back of the driver’s…Love4 min readLove4 min read
Apr 22WMHBWMHB By John Thomas Tuft I pushed the tape of Lead Belly, Thelonious Monk, and John Coltrane into the deck in the dashboard of the old truck. Long trips through the darkness require certain kinds of music. Their music influenced that of artist Janis Joplin, among others, on the road…Love4 min readLove4 min read
Apr 14KNIGHTS OF FANTASIAKINGHTS OF FANTASIA BY John Thomas Tuft Randy is the first to arrive for the meeting of the Knights of Fantasia. He struts down Jefferson Boulevard dressed in his Harry Potter at Hogwarts best: a long black cape that sweeps the ground behind his heels, trimmed in gold and burgundy…Love4 min readLove4 min read
Apr 6PARE MY SOULPARE MY SOUL By John Thomas Tuft “In the end, it is just you.” The old man, skin the color of a too ripe banana, eyes a bit bloodshot from the morning’s libation, whatever that might be, cackled a bit at the end of each sentence he spoke. “You certainly…Love5 min readLove5 min read
Apr 1RAY AND BRUNO’S RESURRECTIONRAY AND BRUNO’S RESURRECTION By John Thomas Tuft It is a nondescript barber shop in a nondescript strip mall on the corner of a busy intersection in a nondescript old mill town along the Ohio River. Wedged in between a paint store on one side and a vape shop on…Love4 min readLove4 min read
