My latest short story "The Night the Lights Came On"

Saturday, April 5, 2025

Tapping a Screen | A Poem

Poetry is likely best produced

By scratching away at parchment thick

Across creamy tan 

Not xerox white

The corners curled not pressed flat and tight 

With quill freshly dipped

In ink as black as night


However 

This deviation distraction device 

Is always by my side

Or in my pocket on a ride

Continuously within reach

To scroll and swipe and waste my time

Or tap away and write lines

True and deep

My thumbs pecking here and there

Rather than the usual fair

Of older tools full of analog texture and flair

Yet this thin thing can produce art

In the form of words trailing after each other 


I’ve read on ways the different ways you write

Can interact with your brain

In different ways

But as for me, a tool is a tool

And while it’s true handwritten notes

Stick in my mind with thicker strokes

To compose upon a glowing screen

With dancing tips of fat fingers flying

Is lovely in the way its speed

Just keeps up with the words

Flying from my mind 

To the muscles in my hands

To the symbols made of pixels

On my pocket notebook sized

Computer of a popular brand

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Dan's Book Reviews | Episode 85
Purple Hibiscus

In this 85th episode, I review Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Listen to hear why even though this is a book I never thought I would have been interested in, it was one of the best most well written books I've ever had the pleasure to read. I'm glad an old friend recommended it to me.

Play or download the .mp3

Buy "Purple Hibiscus" on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Purple-Hibiscus-audiobook/dp/B004XUNVMM


Check out the author's website:

https://www.chimamanda.com/


Check out a couple of my novels:

Haunted House Flipper:

https://www.amazon.com/Haunted-House-Flipper-Dan-Absalonson-ebook/dp/B079K6MP28/


The Case 2of the Missing Snowman:

https://www.amazon.com/Case-Missing-Snowman-Thackeray-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B07LHGPW61


FOLLOW ME:

https://www.facebook.com/dandantheartman

Saturday, March 15, 2025

Dan's Book Reviews | Episode 84
Keeper of the Lost Cities

In this 84th episode, I review Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger. Not only did I really enjoy this fun and easy to read urban fantasy, but my kids are HUGE fans of the series. I've spent most of my audible credits on the books in this series for them lately!

Play or download the .mp3

Buy "Keeper of the Lost Cities" on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Keeper-Lost-Cities-Shannon-Messenger-ebook/dp/B005C776A8


Check out a couple of my novels:

Haunted House Flipper:

https://www.amazon.com/Haunted-House-Flipper-Dan-Absalonson-ebook/dp/B079K6MP28/


The Case 2of the Missing Snowman:

https://www.amazon.com/Case-Missing-Snowman-Thackeray-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B07LHGPW61


FOLLOW ME:

https://www.facebook.com/dandantheartman

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Poetry

You may have noticed a few new poems I've published on this site recently. I stumbled across this amazing project where a renown guitar player lays down gorgeous tracks beneath a master poet reciting poems. It's called Strings and Sonnets. Check it out. After listening to these prodigious poems, I was inspired to try my hand a few again. It's been quite some time since I've written a poem.

Source: https://philkeaggyfriends.bandcamp.com/album/strings-sonnets

I am now inspired to record my poems and then write instrumental music to go with them just in the way these fine gentlemen accomplished their resplendent album. I'm sure I'll put them out on the podcast and here on the website as I get each one made. It is a project I'm very excited about. Now I just have to learn how to get all of the other projects I'm excited about finished and shipped, because real artists ship. While I have published many things, there are also many things on my back burner or half finished that I must get to eventually!

Spade to Pavement | A Poem

There is a subtle peace 
In putting shovel to drive
The spread blanket of white lain down 
Softens the sounds around
Dampens footfalls and traffic beyond
While you work a steady line

Plastic tip or metal strip
Meet concrete beneath the brilliant sheet 
The constant push
The quiet scrape
Accented by plush plops
Dripping from your broad tool
As piles are made beside

Though this way is greater
Both in effort and in time
Than following behind
A quick cacophonous machine
It affords a space for the soul to quiet down 

Racing thoughts fall like flakes
As your body works your mind rests
Decrease the layer and raise up the heaps
While you defrost the cake beside your carport
Your mind settles 
Your body finds the rhythm
Of the shovel and the snow 
And the pavement below