Thursday, September 20, 2007

For Danette


In loving memory of Danette Velez, wife and mother of five, a caring soul I was privileged to cross paths with, who ended her battle with cancer on Thursday morning, September 20, 2007. Here is an excerpt from her journal:

Life is messy work

I read a quote from an anonymous writer the other day. It said, “Life is not a journey to the grave with intentions of arriving safely in a pretty, well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming, “Wow! What a ride!”

Painting by Lacey Lewis, artist and friend of Danette’s.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

A Most Capable Brain


she skews like her sister
two live-wire curlicues
those lapis eyes
always testing the deep
they share
a most capable brain
a globe that is turning
casting shapes on the wall
a Bering land bridge between them
an archipelago near the floor
the fleeting hem of a skirt
tonight the bathtub's a moat of petals and candles
the world is flying across the room
in pink rubber
hey girls throw to me
like you can throw time
fate is a tangled metal
look up how it's twisting
two daughters in a swing
they're my honeychain
life's a fine powder drifting
a door you left open
and someone skipping out back


Thursday, September 13, 2007

Can You Burn This?



Can you burn this?
swollen paper in limp binding
tired leather lavender
these furtive introspections
chewing holes like moths
a measure of Epsom and alcohol
hand it over
feed the pile
a fine brisk madness in the fire
the heady overtow of smoke and leaves
betrays the coming season
here now the air deranged
there goes a letter sailing
don't worry
the good bits yours to keep
hear the jangling
your blood like fizz
ho ho
Ashes aren’t to ashes
Ashes aren’t to dust
they're jagged wishes flying pretty
Float on steady down
in the dusk you see it gleaming
a light that's yours to bear
wrap your hair in fallen leaves
growing expectant like the moon
full of October

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Not Any Big Red Cat


Not this
Not any
Big red cat
my muse appearing
thinks he is
don’t be taken in
it’s rhythmic
rhythhhhmic
but he’s a bounder
so scattered
I don’t believe
In any big red cat
The trees are straining
against my weather
They’re clear blown out of here
A field stripped and yellow
The wheat has left
All scattered
And
I
Drop
Have learned to land that way
Dead-ahead horizon
My muse appearing
goofy big red cat
rises
stop standing around like a man!
holds out the absurd
guileless, pretending
don’t follow
it’s all stick figures jumping
marbles spinning
sea monkeys my parents gave me
don’t believe it
Not in any
Or anything close
To big red cat



Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Space Suit Rebellion


Special orange partial pressure
Fishbowl polycarbonate
Precious sealing neck-ring
Zombie? Me?
Sleepwalking the moon
Wearing lunar boots and gloves
The rigors of exploring
Transfer of heat
Thence to space
Thence to space
From the skin out
The head is free to move within
Help keep the head!
Prevent ballooning
Remember Vostok
Harsh and airless
Double-ply rubberized parachute cloth
Keep the body fluids from boiling away
Wiley Post drove a Lockheed Vega
Celebrated supercharged aluminized
One high-falootin’ altitude
Leads to another

Monday, September 10, 2007

Ode To A Hoky German Rock Band

Gamma Ray from Hamburg, Germany

Gamma Ray, oh Gamma Ray Band
your concept is so edgy,
your image so start-a-linggg
your lead singer is so frightening
you're blowin' my mind

Gamma Ray, oh Gamma Ray band
your guitars are like lasers
your stage effects are awesome, man
but why you only tour in Japan?
cuz no one plays your records here

Gamma Ray, oh Gamma Ray Band
your chords all sound the same
you have big gamma rays painted on your van
I think that I'm your only fan
but you are rock and roll, man


http://www.gamma-ray.com/