poet, interviewer, musician, traveler
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Justice for all, service to others and a love that liberates people. — Tavis Smiley’s summary of Martin Luther King’s philosophy.
I have a dream, too
and on the cold days I fear
that a dream is all it will ever be
but when my boys are playing
laughing in the sun-warmed yard
I am hopeful for our future
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part of a river of stones
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I need a Life Positioning System
to orient myself among once-familiar landmarks
does Garmin make one of those?
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part of a river of stones
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I wrote this on the bus from Albany to New York City.
The Blues
1.
it all goes back to the blues
that’s what they’d have you believe
the gravel your boots crunch
must lead to a dusty crossroad
every baby’s cry is a bottleneck slide
on the worn strings of a scarred guitar
whiskey runs from the kitchen faucet
the radiator’s busted so body heat will have to do
2.
snowscape bus rides to big city lights
he’s seated across from a pale redhead
who looks like she’s crying but isn’t
he pretends to be watching the trees
safe in the anonymity of sunglasses
they won’t be meeting later in a juke joint
she won’t nurse a beer or lean in close
to hear him over the sound of the band
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the trick to travel
isn’t remembering
your underwear or socks
it’s knowing which books to take
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part of a river of stones
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__ often take out the word “__”
in the phrase “__ love you”
perhaps to soften the blow
or to provide plausible deniability
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part of a river of stones
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Gerald Cleaver is in my ears
talking about Uncle June
and the Great Migration
I’m making a smaller journey
home from the post office
where I checked for word from you
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part of a river of stones
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first my teeth pierce the soft nori skin
then move through the rice into the rich
avocado in the center
the mug of sencha fits perfectly in my hand
and there’s just enough room at the table
for these friends who will miss me when I go
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part of a river of stones
4 CommentsJohn M. Roll, 63
Gabriel Zimmerman, 30
Christina Green, 9
Dorothy Morris, 76
Dorwin Stoddard, 76
Phyllis Schneck, 79
it’s not a stone
it’s a country
and it’s sinking
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part of a river of stones
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this changes nothing
you know that, don’t you?
in a few days we’ll go back to our coma
back to our flat-screen televisions
our high-definition getaways
six people? nowhere near enough
at this point, we’d need rivers of blood
flowing past the grocery store
submerging the church pews
to even catch our attention for more
than a 24-hour news cycle
for shock value I could start listing
the daily death tolls
of those without health care
or the number of children who go to bed
hungry or abused each night
right here, in the richest…
but you know the story
or choose not to know it
for less shock value
(because who really cares about them?)
I could tell you how many civilians
were killed today in Iraq or Afghanistan
or Gaza or Pakistan or Yemen
by us or by our allies or with our weapons
but what’s the use?
a new season of your favorite show
will start soon and you’ll plop down
on your couch with some popcorn
or a nice plate of nachos
and go back to sleep
in a few weeks you’ll have to
Google this date to figure out
what this poem is about
and in another few weeks after that
so will I
outside my window
is a scuttling crab
in his winter tuke, pacing
— if that’s the word —
back and forth, counting off
the first bar of a jazz tune
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part of a river of stones
One Commentas I listen to Jane Ira Bloom’s
dancing soprano saxophone,
I’m reminded again why I chose
to play this instrument, despite its
“small window of accuracy” —
because the whole world
is through that window
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part of a river of stones
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today my brain is more spoon than blade
rounded and dull in my unslept head
still, I’ll grind it against the whetstone
sharpen my wits for what’s ahead
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part of a river of stones
4 CommentsListen to the reading using the player above.
Here’s the audio of my poetry reading from Caffe Lena last night. I had such a great time, despite the presence of a fairly annoying heckler. Many of my friends were in the audience, and a ton of new folks were there, too. Mostly students, I think. In fact, the place was so packed that I ran out of copies of Daylight Robbery, even though I printed twice as many as I thought I’d need. Thanks to host Carol Graser for having me and to my mom for driving up from New York. And thanks to all my friends for coming out to support me!
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walking past the coffee shop
where my friends used to work
the coffee may still be brewing
but the warmth is gone
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Part of a river of stones.
2 CommentsI didn’t realize this video existed until today. It was shot on May 4, 2010 in Albany, NY.
Thanks to AlbanyPoets.com for the video and thanks to Nipper Town for letting me know it existed.
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