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There’s a particular cup at my favorite café in Quincy, Brew haha. It’s not just a cup, it’s the cup—the one they always seem to hand me, even if I don’t ask. Red on the outside, patterned like someone took the time to make something decorative just for the joy of it. Thick-walled. Just the right heft. It fits the hand like it knows the weight of slow mornings and second chances.

Well, it happend, I’m back in another production at the West End Theatre in Quincy, CA. This time it’s Shrek: The Musical—a tale of love, layers, and swampy redemption—and I’ve landed a small but mighty role as Papa Ogre. That’s right, I’ll be kicking off the show as Shrek’s dear old dad, paired up with my longtime friend and frequent stage partner, Michelle Pfingston, who’s playing Mama Ogre. In this go ‘round, we have the dubious honor of sending off our 7 year old son (Shrek) alone into a hostile world while celebrating it in song. Ain’t show business somethin’!

So… I’m auditioning for some kind of role in Shrek the Musical. That’s right. Community theater has pulled me back in—this time with ogres, dragons, talking donkeys, and musical numbers that are catchier than they have any right to be.

In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and mountains of the Mexican border I’ve followed the calls of birds that don’t exist into thickets

Starbucks buzzes loud, In coffee cups, flowers bloom— Secret gardens hide. - LFB + AI

I sat on the bank of the Middle Fork, My line cast in the shimmering pool, Like hopes thrown casually into the future. I thought about how truth, slippery and elusive, Was a lot like the trout I never caught.

Chains of routine bind, Dreams of wild, open skies call, Soul yearns to break free. - LFB + AI

River winds its course, Life’s push and pull shape its path, Flowing to the sea. - LFB + AI

Old man in the dark, Rain whispers of lost loves past, Tears blend with the storm. - LFB + AI

I’m not sure what this is. It started as a dream, I think. I wrote some words down about the feeling I had, about the character that appeared. I thought it might be a song, but no. It’s just this: