What Was I Thinking?: "I Buried Paul -- The story of the sixth Beatle" and other short fiction, poetry, and song lyrics

The year was 1963. John Lennon had written a new song and was eager to share it with his bandmates. After John sang, “I want to grab your breasts,” self-proclaimed sixth Beatle Mike Campbell gently suggested, “I want to hold your hand.” Thank God.

So begins a series of profoundly absurd and absurdly profound musings from M. E. Mattel. What Was I Thinking? is a collection of short stories, poems, and song lyrics that include philosophical reveries, satirical scenarios, and even a bawdy limerick.

One story satirizes gender dynamics by suggesting we won’t achieve true equality until we see more female serial killers. One poem takes a snapshot of a poor old man pushing his cart down a cobblestone road. One song sings the lamentations of a Vietnam War vet, drowning his sorrows in a bar. Regardless of form, each piece of writing has the capacity to move you to laughter, to tears, or to deep introspection.