bookportfolio2244

ALL
THE WRITINGS
OF
BOBBY
BLACKIE
BANKS

Almost everybody has a good, memorable
story or two or ten inside of them. These tales
come from events we have attended, trips we have
taken, emotions we have felt deeply, or special
people we have met. I have attempted to capture
some of my stories and present them in an
entertaining way. This booklet contains my best
ones that I want to share with others. I am no
Steinbeck but I have my moments.
Each book listed has a quick synopsis below
its cover to help those who have honored me with
visiting and exploring my collection of writings.
My hope is that others will experience through my
words the events, places, and special people that I
have encountered in this wondrous wandering
through this life. Happy exploring and thanks for
visiting.

Table of Contents
Blackie's Gems...........................................................................................................................................1
Blackie's Wino Christmas .........................................................................................................................4
Don Ho Christmas .....................................................................................................................................6
Echoes from the Neighborhood.................................................................................................................8
Billy Murdered.........................................................................................................................................10
When I Play in the Band..........................................................................................................................12
More Than a Simple Game to Me............................................................................................................14
Tales from the Runaway Shelter..............................................................................................................16
Campbell's Corner....................................................................................................................................18
Children's Home Chronicles....................................................................................................................19
Confessions of a Serial Monogamist.......................................................................................................20
Florence's Final Journey...........................................................................................................................22
My Ghostly Brother Needs to Die...........................................................................................................24
Hippie Tales from Welcome, Washington................................................................................................25
Shooting Stars of Memories.....................................................................................................................27
Golf-a-Rama.............................................................................................................................................30
Winter Tales.............................................................................................................................................31
Nobody Will Believe You, Joel................................................................................................................33
The Motel Maestro ..................................................................................................................................34
Dark Clouds-Don't Look Away................................................................................................................36
White Roses & Strawberries....................................................................................................................40
Love at Zipote .........................................................................................................................................42

1
Blackie's Gems
This is the best book to start with as it contains
a sampling of chapters of my various books as well
as some favorite and popular short stories. The
thirteen stories all have merit. I called them my
gems for I am proud of each one. Here's the first
story from the collection with the opening scene.

2
“HELP, EDDIE COLLAPSED AND I
CAN'T GET him up,” the panicked voice of my
neighbor Annie wailed over the phone.
I hit the icy steps at full speed, did a fancy
spin or two and made it over to the gate at Annie
and Eddie's once beautiful Victorian house in
less than thirty seconds. The goddamn thing had
frozen shut. I jumped the fence and banged open

3
the door.
“He's over here,” Annie yelled.
I picked up a rumbled pile of what I hoped
was still Eddie and hustled down the steps. He
had not moved.
“Take the Volvo,” Annie called as she caught
up to me and put the keys in my jacket pocket. I
kicked open the gate, gently placed Eddie in the
backseat, and zoomed toward the hospital a few
seconds later with Annie calling out directions
and warnings . We made it in record time. Four
strong arms picked up the unresponsive Eddie,
put him on a stretcher and hurried into the
Emergency Room. My gorgeous wife picked me
up a few hours later when Eddie woke up.

4
Blackie's Wino Christmas
I love this story which takes place in the
Pioneer Square part of Seattle and features a
veteran street guy who knows all the tricks to
survival. I stayed in a sketchy rooming house in
the area to get a feel for the type of life portrayed.
There are surprising twists and turns in my most
popular tale. Thousands have read this online.

5
Here's a sampling from chapter one:
BLACKIE'S WEARY EYES POPPED
OPEN IN response to the anticipated Bainbridge
Ferry's horn echoing off the Puget Sound water in
the distance. After a deep stretch, two long yawns,
and a clap of the hands, he hopped up. A rare
smile appeared.
“Oh, I love this time of year,” he spoke aloud
as he coiled up his slightly damp bedroll, shoved it
in the storage sack, and pulled out his nighttime
coat along with his lucky, tattered San Francisco
Giant baseball cap.
The old guy spoke most of his thoughts aloud a
result of being alone on the streets for over three
decades. Tall and still physically fit, he constantly
scanned the world with his intimidating, hawklike
eyes. He gave off an aura of confidence.

6
Don Ho Christmas
Big Joe rescues one of his fourth-grade
students—little Patrick—from a situation. They
decide to take a trip to Seattle during Christmas
vacation. The trip takes a series of unexpected
turns when the two run into a mentally ill
policeman whose actions turn the entire city of
Seattle upside down, tests Patrick's innocence, and
changes Big Joe's life forever. This is another

7
Seattle area story. Here is a snippet from chapter
two:
“Mr. Big Joe look at all them tall buildings!
How do they get them to stand up without them
falling down? Oh, there's that Space Needle
thingy just like its real! Oh man, this is the best
day of my whole life, Mr. Big Joe!”
The ferry blew its horn again, much to
Patrick's enjoyment, as it chugged into the
Seattle dock. The two travelers returned to the
Lincoln, waited their turn in getting off the
crowded ferry, drove down three blocks, and
parked.
“Ain't you afraid someone will steal your
fancy car?”

8
Echoes from the Neighborhood
Grandfather Robert has a last wish for his
favorite grandson. He requests that his long-time
collection of writings be put together and
published. These tales from his old neighborhood
capture the life of the 1950's and 60's. They are
full of adventures some quite touching. There is
much humor involved in these tales. Here is the
opening scene.

9
A ten dollar bill was floating directly toward
Bobby's eager right hand. He dove full out,
snatched it, and rolled to the hot asphalt. His brief
howl of delight changed to a yelp as a scuffed,
black combat boot stomped on his treasured-filled
hand. He smelled him first. The eleven year old's
nostrils sensed a combination stench that would
have gagged a maggot. Weeks of sweat, cigarette
smoke, mildew and horse poop residue, were the
union that attacked his senses. Long fingers from
this shadow of foul odor snatched the bill and
vanished leaving a horrified Bobby confused,
angry and feeling violated. But fear soon
dominated all these feelings. No one had ever
been that close to Mr. Johnny Matthewson, owner
of the nearby ten-acre junkyard, ever before.

10
Billy Murdered
Why do some people end up doing such horrid
things to others in this life? This question has
been debated for many years. I knew an innocent
little boy who once thought only about putting
together car models. He ended up in prison for
life. This book attempts to explain why after
telling Billy's story in part one. Here is an excerpt:

11
“Go ahead, open up your present.”
Mama sat down in the worn burnt-orange
recliner next to her silent son Billy who was
standing like a soldier on guard duty next to the
model car he had been carefully putting together.
She opened the paper sack and then let out a wild
shriek, vaulted up and hurled the bag which
landed at Billy’s feet. Billy jumped too when the
first two baby rattlers slithered from the bag,
across his dirty bare feet, and darted toward the
couch where little baby Eddie—unclothed except
for a diaper—was stretched out drinking from a
bottle filled with apple juice.
Billy didn't think; he simply reacted. He
grabbed the ax next to the wood pile and in two
quick strides made for the snakes with the ax
raised up over his head. It was over in seconds.

12
When I Play in the Band
I worked as a traveling mental health
counselor for over a decade. My clients were
mostly adult males dealing with the challenges of
paranoid schizophrenia. This book is told through
the voice of Sherri who follows two experienced
characters—Duke and JJ—through a memorable
long weekend which includes visiting clients,
baseball, and love. This is a book of compelling,
troubling client tales told with much humor. Here
is the opening scene:

13
“Get the hell out of the way, hook arm,”
was an unfortunate choice of words and
considering the circumstances, quite possibly the
single dumbest thing I have ever heard in my life.
Stunningly stupid because the words were
directed toward a mammoth hombre, James
Jerome McMurphy. This ex-Green Bay Packer
defensive lineman and Vietnam vet. had been a
legitimate tough son-of-a-bitch his entire life and
an uncompromising warrior for the neglected and
picked on for over thirty-five years. If pushed he
had a volatile, scary temper. JJ, that's what
everyone called him, did not hesitate. He swung
his artificial limb which connected with a wicked
thump to the skull of the unsuspecting bellower,
Vincent Morris who instantly went night, night.

14
More Than a Simple Game to Me
This started off as an essay which received
positive attention from baseball lovers and grew
into a book. I added one other original essay and a
section on favorite baseball memories called
Behind the Scoreboard. If you enjoy the greatest
game on earth then this book is for you. Here is
the start of the essay that begins the book.

15
Most will view this picture and see a
white ball. But what they will never see is
all that is inside of that ball. It is filled with
lessons, memories, victories, losses, laughter,
friendships, battles, and tears. It is magic to
me. As magical as any crystal ball or mystical
message. I see my life.
Baseball is more than a simple game
to me. The greatest game on earth has been
like a grand musical score playing throughout
my time on stage in this life. Come travel
with me and I will try to share what I found
inside that ball over the years. I want to tell
you about my magnificent obsession.

16
Tales from the Runaway Shelter
This book chronicles the the time I
spent operating a runaway shelter for teens
in trouble. Grace, a favorite social worker,
begged us to take in Terri who had already
burned through 57 foster homes. We did
and into our life walked a remarkable
young woman carrying a series of stories
and experiences that are hard to even
imagine. This book is based on true
experiences. Here is the opening scene:

17
Remarkable fifteen-year-old Terri
and I sat playing Boggle one quiet day when
she spoke these words to me: “I saw my
father's head explode when I was four years
old.”
Now there's a sentence you don't hear
every day. I dropped my score-keeping
pencil. “I'm listening.”Well, it started when
my mom took me on a long trip. We threw
almost everything we owed into plastic
garbage bags and boxes from inside our
farmhouse near Spokane into the back of her
car and took off. Took days, I think . . .

18
Campbell's Corner
Campbell's Corner on Mill Road was
one of the popular gathering spots for
workers getting off the various shifts at the
nearby paper and lumber mill. This short
booklet tells some classic tales including
when Norm hit a train, an embarrassing
moment for a politician and one
memorable retirement story.

19
Children's Home Chronicles
A young man's promising pro baseball
career is shattered by a 100-mile-per-hour
fastball to the temple. He finds a new
mission in life while helping a collection of
young boys whose early years of innocence
had been taken by abuse or death. This
book is based on stories from a residential
treatment center that gave me my first fulltime
job. Most things chronicled did
indeed happen.

20
Confessions of a Serial Monogamist
This book might be called a romance novel of
sorts. It does have some scenes that might be
termed a bit on the nasty side. It is a love story
and is dedicated to all who have tried to deal with
Cupid's often inaccurate and cruel arrows. Here is
the opening scene:

21
My name is Jimmy “Jimbo” Jackson.
Mr. Jackson to you. I recently turned
thirty-four and thought my love life had no
future. Figured I was too damn old. I had been
happily married one day and found myself
sleeping in my Volkswagen camper van the
next after getting a long, handwritten Dear
Jimbo letter from my supposed best friend
and loyal wife.
This unexpected, astonishing shock sent
me out on an odyssey. I became a male slut
which I am neither proud of or embarrassed
by. This is the tale.

22
Florence's Final Journey
This is an expanded short story that is
special to me. I love the two characters in this
story who team up to take a memorable train
trip to one of the most beautiful, scenic places
on earth—Banff in western Canada. Florence
and Gabby form a friendship on this trip that
is one for the ages. Here is a scene from the
story:

23
He smelled like Aqua Velva, her last husband's favorite
aftershave. He took her bag and offered his arm for support.
She returned his smile and got in the backseat.
“You look lovely, today, ma'am. Where are we heading?”
“Why, thank you! The train depot, please,” she said. He
nodded and started the cab.
“Let me pick out some music for you. Could I please? I
have a good collection of tunes . . . makes the days of driving
more pleasant. I think I have just the thing for you. Let's see
if I'm right . . . Is that okay?”
“Sounds interesting; let's see what you pick,” she said.
He smiled. “This young woman from the U.K. is a genius
and has a love for some of the old, great tunes. I think you'll
like her.” A sweet, unique voice came on and filled the cab up
with a glorious rendition of As Time Goes By complete with a
marvelous long horn-section solo. They wound through the
backstreets and hit the freeway. He got in the slow lane and
looked back.
“So how did I do?”
My Ghostly Brother Needs to Die

24
This is a friendly ghost story. A scene:
The balloon left with a final emphatic
smack to my right ear in exactly the spot
where Ron would attack with his precision
flick while we waited at the bus stop on cold
winter days.
“Ron, is that you?”

25
Hippie Tales from Welcome, Washington
I lived on a impaired hippie commune
located in Welcome, Washington in 1970.
It was a hoot and the stories still make me
smile. Here is a taste.

26
WELCOME, WASHINGTON-(1970)-
Julius, our mule, was not going to move again.
He stood stiff as one of the many first growth
nearby cedar trees exactly halfway up the trail
from the Mosquito Lake Road pavement. It was
drizzling as usual up here in the early morning
clouds that hovered only a few feet from the
meadow ground on our 180-acre hippie
communal farm. Crazy Michael was yelling at the
beast and swatting him with a branch from one of
the old apple trees.
“Dammit! Quit hitting him. It ain't gonna do
any good. There's only one thing that works,“ I
said to him. I ran into the house and quickly
made several peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
and raced back.
“ Here you go, boy. Yeah, take a bite.”

27
Shooting Stars of Memories
These are a series of snapshots of life. The
kind of memories that are imprinted a bit more
than the usual for whatever reason. Here is one of
them that illustrates what this book is about.

28
I ENTERED THE empty preschool classroom and
there sat poor little Traci. The teacher noticed me and
nodded at Traci who jumped up like a puppy off its
leash and ran toward me. I opened my arms and she
jumped in.
“Traci, you know better than to run in the
classroom! And remember from now on to use your
inside voice when class is in session,” flowed the words
from an unsympathetic, unsmiling set of terse lips. I
wanted to give this teacher a quick lesson in leaving my
little five-year old dear alone but instead ignored her

29
and sprinted out to the van at full speed as Traci held
on and giggled with delight. We were driving along
without a word on the country road leading to our
home when she blurted out, “Bob, let's just keep driving
on straight forever.” I thought that was indeed a grand
idea.
A few months later, after her mom and I had the big
break-up after a rocky year or two, I saw her walking
near my fourth grade classroom with her eyes focused
on the ground. I opened my back door and called out,
“Traci!”
She gave a little wave with no energy behind it and
came in my room.
“Hi, Trace. How you been doing?” I asked
“Think you'll ever make me another grilled cheese
sandwich?” she asked with her lower lip quivering.

30
Golf-a-Rama
Golf stories from the respected three-some of
Walker, Daniels and Beam. A review of traveling
all over the United States and Western Canada
playing the game of golf with the Wilde Brothers.

31
Winter Tales
Several Christmas stories. Including
the tale of traveling across the Cascade
Mountains in the middle of a brutal
snowstorm with Grandpa Art. Here is
one of the stories in the collection.

32

33
Nobody Will Believe You, Joel
Was it a dream? Some odd messages
are sent Joel's way and he has no idea
what his normal, peaceful fishing trip
has become.

34
The Motel Maestro
Frankie's life had taken a ride downhill. The
once respected teacher and counselor had fallen on
challenging times in the first years of his
retirement and ended up running a motel in the
hick town of Tumbleweed. Frankie has become the
Motel Maestro. Here is an early scene:

35
“Hey, fuck you, Mr. Bike Rider! What . . . you too poor to
own a fuckin' car?”
Well, me, Mr. Bike Rider, stopped and thought it only
proper, polite, and refined to respond to the conversation he
had initiated.
“Why you miserable old fuck. You better have more than
that goddamn stick if you going to yell shit like that at me.”
Well, he did.
He reached inside his coat and pointed a damn
impressive looking silver gun at me. I got out of range by
sprinting on my bike with all I had. I spun around a corner
while looking back at the armed, smell-challenged dude. I
almost ran into some other guy who proceeded to yell at me,
too.
“Frankie, is that you, man?”
I screeched to a halt and backed up with my feet. There
stood handsome Dave, the very worse gambler I have ever
met.

36
Dark Clouds-Don't Look Away
These stories are not for everyone. Some of
them are too troubling. Here are a few of the
stories that make up this book.

37
They treated her like a clown when she was
really the ultimate hero. She had protected her
sisters from the hidden evil of their father. “You
can have me but not them,” had been the deal.

38
The arrogant Professor Melvin deserved some
punishment but did he deserve what the Coach
and Big Oliver had planned for him?

39
Somebody has to pay for the murder of little
Marty but powerful forces work against justice in
ways that nobody could have ever predicted.
Those three tales make up Dark Clouds.

40
White Roses & Strawberries
A colorful, attractively designed booklet of
free verse entries that have received positive
comments from my fans over the years. Here
is a part of one of them.

41
She's a Pretty Girl Who Never Smiles
I watched her pass me at the gas station mini-store
As she exited with her gorgeous eyes downcast
This pretty girl who never smiles
It made me want to cry and chase after her
She has found a protective survival method
Become a shade of gray no one will notice
For being left alone is what she most desires
After the horrid attention she has always received.
She moves from place to place without a word
Hoping nobody notices her or seeks her out
Some think her shy; others think her weak
But most don’t even think of her at all

42
Love at Zipote
A love story from the far south of Mexico. Can
it ever really work out?