"Never seen nothing like it."

Today's poem:

Josie and Joey at the park
Summer, 1973

They laugh, play, fight and laugh again
Life is slow; life is good


See that and don't see winter, 74
Forget how they died and their killer

For it is summer, 73
And there are two kids still just kids

Summers never end, do they?

Today's thoughts:

Some fool in a forum at wwww.delphiforums.com claims that if we study serial killers like Dennis L. Rader, we can prevent others like him. OK, maybe but this guy says Rader fascinates him.

Think about that, dear hearts. A man who hanged Josie Otero, age 11, and then mastebated and later pictured her as his toy after he died, that man fascinates him.

Bags of vomit, excrement and Rader for an odd reason do not interest me.

Rader had his say in court yesterday. He began by claiming odd connections with his victims. ("Hey, it's too bad I killed her; we had a lot in common.")

He then proceeded to "correct" the record. For example, our wonderful DA Nola Foulston called him a dog catcher. Rader claimed he was a lawman. Ha! He was a dog catcher.

Then he thanked folks. He has a delusion that some people in Sedgwick County still like him. His pastor does, I think. But nobody else does.

Then, in one or two sentences, he apologized for ten deaths. It was almost like saying, as TV commentators pointed out, "By the way, ten killings? My bad."

Who fascinates me was Charlie Otero, the first family member of the victims' to speak. His comments dwelt on how his faith had been tested by discovering the bodies of his brother, father, mother and hanged sister.

Charlie later served time. But the man I heard yesterday had flirted with evil but returned to the Lord and to life.

Rader flirted with the Lord and life but once he chose evil, he never looked back. He still hasn't.

That is not fascinating. It is just so terribly sad.

Tomorrow, something lighter I hope.

Keep hoping yourselves.