my dear dear Theo

my dear dear Theo

fiction
edward w pritchard

my dear dear Theo,

Brother,
Have I told you how I admire the work of William Shakespeare. How do I miss London now that I am no longer in Belgium, no longer preaching to the poor. Now poor myself.

 Thank-you, thank you Theo for the check, it is a loan really. Please try again to sell some of my paintings. I enclose a few more. Maybe one of your dealers will look at the picture of the Sunflowers. I know they are hard to please.

I wrote another Jesus story. I know, I am no longer a preacher. Read it if you wish. Maybe you can sell one of my pictures. I do want so to make good in the world.

Vincent

poor Martha Mc Coy

poor Martha Mc Coy

fiction
edward w pritchard

Poor Martha Mc Coy.
True what happened to her was a long time ago,
Cleveland, Ohio in 1894.
It's probably different now,
people don't scrimp and suffer to save money today,
but Martha Mc Coy did.
No heat at night in winter
and never any sugar to cook with, except on Sunday's
and married to a fool.
He spent three years savings
on one sketch by a Dutchman, Rembrandt,
the eyes intrigued Martha's husband.
The money was half Martha's,
but she gave in at last
tired of arguing with a fool.
The picture was hung in their house until her husband died;
Martha sold the sketch.
But in 1907 times were hard
and Martha lost money on the picture.
Poor Martha,  poor Martha Mc Coy
a fool for a husband
who would rather have a picture
than sugar throughout the week.

Jesus of the highly motivated, Jesus edits the gospel

Jesus of the highly motivated, Jesus edits the gospel

fiction
edward w pritchard

Executive summary:
This case is an arbitration as required by prior agreement between Sauri Sanders teaching assistant and the Youngstown Public School District [YPS]. The disciplinary committee of YPS seeks to terminate employment of Ms. Sauri [ defendant] defendant objects.

Facts:
From 09/09/2008 to 01/18/2012 defendant was a teaching assistant with YPS. Since 01/03/2012 defendant has worked under supervision of class room teacher Mrs. Jenifer [ not a party in this action] at South high school. YPS. Class room has only five students one of whom is under full time observation and tutoring by defendant. Student is HS/MD and is IQ 82, age 16 grade 7, non aggressive described previously by teachers as highly motivated and eager to please. Student named Roberto.

After 3 days of working with student defendant begins to report bizarre things to teacher Jenifer about Roberto, including student is Jesus Christ.

Teacher reports situation to Principal who moves to have defendant relieved of duty and evaluated per contract. Defendant refused district disciplinary committee YPS moves to terminate defendant's employment.

end part 1

Eloise is a very beautiful girl indeed

Eloise is a very beautiful girl indeed

fiction
edward w pritchard

Eloise is a very beautiful girl indeed. Father will be upset with me, although a rich man Father will not be happy with his favorite train being destroyed and the loss of life of me his son and Eloise, who should her and I and Father's train get out of here in Western France alive, Eloise who will be my Bride as soon as it can be arranged.

Luck has turned against me. Luck which I always before counted on has placed me and Eloise and Father's favorite train of his fleet in the middle of the fighting in World War one in August of 1914. Of course I am not so stupid as to put Eloise my love at risk without proper cause. She lives in France and as the War has escalated I have risk my life traveling from my home in Russia to rescue her from the small town near Verdun France where she lives and the War has chosen to surround.

We were safe a few hours ago. Ten miles from the fighting, the Germans and the French were dug into  trenches going nowhere and us charging through this area by train at top speed. Then the front shifted. We now sit trapped on the elevated track in the third car of Father's small expensive train with Germans to our right and French and a few British to our left. Soldiers placed logs in front and back of the train when we stopped to avoid the cannon fire. There is a lull in the horrible carnage of battle and both sides are scurrying about  rapidly to retrench, gather the wounded and dieing and prepare for the next stage of battle. Meanwhile Eloise and I are sitting ducks. We calmly sitting in plain sight for all to see are eating our extravagant lunch. We are alive I am sure because of Eloise' beauty. Eloise has on a beautiful chiffon pink Summer dress and it is so out of character and place that I am sure the soldiers do not know how to perceive us. Maybe they literally can't see us for they have been ignoring us for half an hour.

The situation has changed for a badly wounded French soldier has been slowly crawling toward the train for a few minutes in plain sight of both armies. He is very close to the train now and I can see he is young with a handsome face and blue eyes. Eloise is taking him some water. There is nearly complete silence as both armies watch the poignant scene unfold.

Twenty five years later Eloise and I are talking to our only son in St Petersburg, Russia. Our son has signed up to fight in World War two against the Germans. I am desperately trying to tell my son about his Grandfather's train, his Mother's pink dress and the dieing French soldier. My son is very handsome and his eyes are bewitching like his Mothers as he smiles at me. I cannot find the words to say what I desperately wish to express.
end

Jesus the Most Dangerous Man in History/ as edited

Jesus the Most Dangerous Man in History

fiction
edward w pritchard

previously posted, now edited

Being near Jesus was dangerous and lethal to one's past affiliations. When Jesus led us to a new town, women would often take their families and go into the hills for up to a week to keep husband's and children from his jeopardous influence. In time an element of peril surrounded us, Jesus' followers, for just being near him. Later we were the one's staying in the hills, and places obscure and hidden, for we were forbidden to enter towns, business areas and churches. However despite incredible hardships we were blissfully happy and even obscurity could not stifle Jesus' message which convulsed to be revealed.

Jesus presence had became mesmerizing. When we heard the message of profound truth Jesus taught we only wanted to be near him, abolish our sinful ways and full fill and experience the destiny Jesus promised us. More than one who met Jesus or even heard of him would abandon a faithful wife, or son and daughter, or Father and Mother in hope of following Jesus about or just doing one deed or small kindness to make Jesus' life easier, if only for a moment.

I traveled with Jesus for several years before he recruited the disciples but I was forced to leave the group because I was a link to Jesus' past, a past which Jesus himself had forsaken as the power of his message burst from his body. I had been an early friend, arranger, and bodyguard and assisted Jesus as he prayed, studied and meditated. As the aura developed around Jesus day to day I began to taste a fear in the air, the fear of disruption and destruction to every day concerns and matters. Matters such as carrying money, clothes and personal items became unimportant to Jesus and he bid us to abandon any type of planning as we traveled and trust in things working out without any preparation. We traveled in to unfamiliar towns throughout Judea with no contingencies. My job as arranger was dissolving before my eyes and incredibly the multitudes of followers took Jesus literally and many traveled in fact as wandering beggars but with complete faith and became a community of believers of his word. Jesus walked and we followed. He planned only for the next day but continued to allow me to go on with my duties as arranger for the time being.

Jesus was always an incredible judge of character and could instantly dig out the hidden obscure motivations of others often with only a glance. Initially however, I would go into a town first, with money and smooth the way for Jesus' entrance. I would meet people, arrange places for us to stay and make plans so we could avoid breaking any Roman local rules and ordinances or upsetting the Jewish hierarchy. I was loyal to Jesus, but eventually even I out of concern for Jesus' safety and those of the faithful followers had to say something about the effects on every day concerns the brutal honesty of Jesus' message was causing. The more I fought with myself to stay grounded in everyday matters of business and commerce the further I was driving myself from the bliss of Jesus' community of followers.

If I had to give an example that a modern reader could understand I would say to imagine if a prophet walked from town to town In America in 1968 and gave LSD to every man woman and child over age 16 who wasn't satisfied with his spiritual situation. Jesus wanted to awaken those who were not content, not full of conformity, and not comfortable with their skin and their situation. Then imagine if those malcontents began to spread the word that a teacher was coming who could show a brighter day, had the answers to the meaning of all things and would lead the awakened. Then imagine if Jesus in 1968 had urged those to give up their money, jobs, family, health insurance, extra clothes and shaving and make-up kits and walk with him. Often then jesus would disappear with a few favorites to think and evolve and then return to us and share greater growing insights against the thoughts and beliefs that we had been raised on and were the foundations of our everyday lives. Then imagine if those malcontents began to become perfectly at peace with themselves, selfless, and approached the world with love, joy, peace and goodwill towards all, even their enemies.

Eventually as I returned to Jesus after leaving him to arrange the affairs in the next town we were to enter I would be shocked by Jesus' appearance, especially the hollow timeless eyes. Jesus would be sitting alone, deep in thought refusing food or water and then after a while began to speak. Whatever one was doing became unimportant and the focus would be on the hidden meaning of Jesus' words and Jesus would birth ideas and concepts that were earth shaking. Later when I would try to logically fit Jesus' profound teachings into my belief system I would become afraid for us. Because Jesus' message was disturbing, revolutionary, and absolutely and perfectly anti-establishment I often wanted to silence Jesus out of fear for his safety. There were Romans everywhere and they were formidable and they controlled our world. The followers of Jesus became blind to the reality of the Romans however and bathed in the message; I however fought that bath, and drove myself from my friend Jesus, and was left behind, and could not walk with Jesus any longer.

In a small village , after a very long walk Jesus was sitting in a chair exhausted, for he had been refusing water during the trip. A woman came in, just an ordinary woman, who none of us knew and she poured an expensive ointment on Jesus' head from the Country of India, said to refresh and revitalize. Jesus was grateful and blessed the woman. Later It took me several hours to soothe the irate Husband, whose wife had spent over two years of their savings on the potion. The husband was convinced the wife had gone mad and was threatening to complain to the Romans. This was unthinkable for Roman justice was brutal and swift and the woman, the husband and Jesus would be in grave danger. The Romans were only afraid of two things, disorder and chaos and the Roman authority dealt violently with threats of either. Miraculously I shielded Jesus from himself until Jesus began to recruit the disciples and heal the malcontent-ed, and until it became humanly impossible to stop confrontation with civil authority.

We were walking along an inland sea and Jesus had just recruited two new followers. Jesus knew I was upset because I knew nothing of the men chosen, I had not checked them out in advance, as was customary and Jesus had called the two men in a flamboyant public way which only a year ago Jesus had cautioned against. Jesus was talking very fast to me in private and was convinced that the new man Simon [ later called Peter] would be a key member of the group who could spread the word and message beyond Judea and into the future. I tried to believe but I saw only a humble fisherman, and one with a sour temper. Fortunately no one objected to those two men leaving their boat. The two chosen  just jumped off the boat and left. They didn't say good bye and they didn't explain to anyone. I often had told Jesus that this type of showmanship would upset the Romans because the recruits creditors and obligates would complain. Jesus however had taken to answering me in parables that made sense when we talked but later left me holding a handful of water when it came to practical ways to avoid the civil authority.

Jesus and I fell out however over the recruitment of James and John good son's of Zebedee a fisherman also. We were walking past their boat, in a very public place with the usual multitudes and Jesus called both James and John and they just came with us. The Father, Zebedee was a good man, and although he employed other fisherman was devastated by the loss of his sons who he had trained and nurtured to carry on his business. The Father also was not a bad spiritual man, he followed the laws of his people. I found later the Father, Zebedee helped the poor and unfortunate; and as I later brought up to Jesus as him and I argued over the matter Zebedee feared and respected God. The crowds saw this happen and to them such drama was becoming narcotic and the multitudes craved miracles, showmanship and razz ma taz.

Jesus was alone and it was 1AM when I was able to see him. Jesus was in a small tent, the kind goat herders use and Jesus was sitting delicately on a light chair. Jesus looked frail and had a feminine element to himself that day that frightened me more than our problems with the Romans. I had known Jesus back in Nazareth and had often punched and jostled at him and Jesus was then robust and strong. As Carpenter, I often saw Jesus carry heavy logs of wood with ease. Now the aura of death surrounded Jesus, especially at night. I knew Jesus slept poorly and had troubled dreams but his presence to me seemed to spread fear, and potential disaster and I could taste the destruction that surrounded Jesus.

Jesus and I argued for a few minutes and I told Jesus I couldn't do it any more. Jesus hugged me and bid me follow my own heart, told me he always loved me, and promised I could always come back to the community. I broke the bond between Jesus and myself. No goodbyes to my friends of several years and I had nothing to carry with me anyway so I headed East away from the direction Jesus was going tomorrow and sought to reclaim my life. Now it was my turn to fore sake my past for I had been one of the first to experience the perfect joy of Jesus' presence and I was now forsaking it.

A few weeks later I heard through my contacts that Jesus had recruited a tax collector for the Romans to be his chief scribe. Levi known as Matthew was the new recruits name. Matthew had left his coins on the table where he worked and just walked off the job. Nothing could be better orchestrated to upset and infuriate the Romans.

Every night now my dreams are alive with the presence of Jesus' death and I fear and tremble for Jesus out of the love I still have for him. Nothing seems real any more but the comfort of the message of Jesus is gone. It all seems like a mirage. The Romans however are every where I look. I can't believe we were able to avoid the Romans these last 18 months because they are easily angered. Everything I believed is gone and I have lost my faith. I never feared death, it is always at hand in our times, but now something seems missing. As I face the future I sometimes hope that the new scribe Matthew will be able to write down for others who come later what I could not hold in my mind of Jesus' message. I often pray that others once they experience the bliss of Jesus and his Father's kingdom to come do not backslide like I did because of business concerns but remain faithful to the message and not brood, worry and persecute and strangle themselves with tomorrows disquietations.
end

this mournful traveler/ lamentation 7

this mournful traveler/ lamentation 7

fiction
edward w pritchard

This mournful traveler, myself, having arrived at this place; without recognition, friendship or admiration, did I come here of my own initiative. Or, was my path pre-determined. Was I placed here and now, fighting to stay this dejected reputation, as preparation for future battles. Or, was my path random, of no meaning or significance. And, did I arrive here through lack of resolve, insignificance of character, and stint of judgment.

Stumble on, refuse to fall, dream despite reality and probability and hope for victory over the next hill. The script if written is not in my hands and my eyes cannot see beyond this abyss.

grandma is my waitress today

grandma is my waitress today

fiction
edward w pritchard

this is a work of fantasy, story has no meaning

Grandma is my waitress today for dinner at the fish restaurant where I often stop. Not Grandma as she is now, which is actually dead the last thirty years but as my Grandma was when she was seventeen. I heard my waitress talking to the cook while I waited for my food about her one year old daughter Eloise, and that, Elosie being my Mother's name as a girl, and the fact that  the waitress looked exactly like my sister and a lot like me and my Mother brought me to the realization that impossible as it might be my waitress was actually my Grandma as she was as a seventeen year old girl. A seventeen year old girl who had quit school and had to work because she had had a daughter Eloise out of wedlock.

What I didn't like about the situation was how my grandma flirted and wagged at my two friends as she took our order and brought our food and drinks. Grandma gave me a funny look when she noticed I took offense to how she had to act to earn her living as a waitress when my Mother was baby.