“Words” by me
Ponder this old sayingLife is a bowl of cherriesDoes it not instill thoughts of pristine, gleaming fruitBut the top sparkling layerThese hide the rotting, spoiling bottomTruth of the bowlLife is A Bowl of Cherries(Rotted and Full of Worms)2026
As a small child, I was told that when I grew up, I would be a preacher. One of those who stands in the pulpitAnd screams for twenty minutes, A true man of God.My Dad would introduce me by saying, “This is my son Roy, tell them what you’re gonna be when you grow up.”I… Read More When I Grow Up
Kitty corner from my childhood home Stood, with faded and peeling paint A gloomy red building Jo Lums Chinese RestaurantWe never, EVER ate there Not that we ate Chinese at all Even with its close proximity We still never ventured thereThe spicy smell of its kitchen The rotting stink of its dumpster Would waft our… Read More Jo Lums
Terror and fearForm in my mindAs I recall my earliest memoryChristmas at Grandmother EdmondsA yule time of cussing and fightingCould be had by all.Dad, after a few beersHas glazed eyes with a grimaceHe has checked out.Mother holding back tears.Wringing her handsMuttering words of hope.Grandmother fussing,Lecturing all on proper etiquetteCalling God’s wrath down on allGrandfather, ready… Read More First Memory
I’m so TIREDSixty-plus years of adulting has me just TUCKERED ME OUTWhy do I have to make decisions?Be the responsible one?I’m so EXHAUSTEDOf always doing the right thingWhy can’t life just gently kiss my assAnd bother somebody else?I am WORN TO A FRAZZLELooking out for othersWhat about me?Hey over here! I EXIST!ZonkedFinishedDepleted2026
KendallIt started with a hectic, mad dash southTo a frustrating city with no vacanciesBut oh, the outcome was so sweetA bright-eyed, beautiful baby girlThe last bundle of joyTo grace our familyYou made us complete,Like placing that last piece in the puzzle.Life, like it is known to do,Handed you your own peculiar playlistWhich you have mastered… Read More Kendall
Hatchet-Man by Marvin L. Easter is a compelling, historically grounded work that highlights the experiences of Black firefighters in Flint, Michigan, a city with a deeply rooted industrial and civil rights history. Through a blend of personal narratives, historical context, and community insight, Easter examines the challenges and triumphs of African American men who served… Read More Hatchet-Man by Marvin L Easter – Flint Book of the week
15 Years of The Machine Shop is a hardcover photographic retrospective capturing the first fifteen years of one of Flint, Michigan’s most iconic live music venues — The Machine Shop. The book was created by Jeffrey “Minty” Mintline, the venue’s longtime house photographer, and highlights memorable moments, performances, and personalities that defined the venue from… Read More 15 Years of The Machine Shop by Jeffery Mintline – Flint Book of the Week
The Many and the Few is an insider’s chronicle of the pivotal United Automobile Workers (UAW) sit-down strike against General Motors in Flint, Michigan in 1936–1937, a defining moment in American labor history. The author, Henry Kraus, was himself a UAW activist and editor deeply involved in the events he recounts, giving the narrative both… Read More The Many and the Few: A Chronicle of the Dynamic Auto Workers by Henry Kraus – Flint Book of the Week
Midnight in Vehicle City is a narrative history of the 1936–1937 Flint Sit-Down Strike, a pivotal labor action that transformed American industry and helped give rise to the modern middle class. Centered in Flint, Michigan—also known as “Vehicle City” and the heart of General Motors’ manufacturing empire—the book chronicles how ordinary auto workers challenged one… Read More Midnight in Vehicle City: General Motors, Flint, and the Strike That Created the Middle Class by Edward McClelland – Flint Book of the Week
Ramblings of an Old Coot 