orte

we rode an hour north by train to grey, stone Orte

built high atop a hill in 1300 and still intact

on quiet turning, odd angled streets the gentle bus man

told us of a restaurant just off the main piazza

each step revealed a scene to paint or photograph

the eating spot was quiet, provincial and well appointed

in a tired, sophisticated country way

we each had different tasty local pastas with red wine

after, coffee at a traditional bar, filled with locals

then took refuge in a somber old shelter built in a wall

and awaited ten minutes for the local bus

then caught a train in the rain back to roma

aquaforte engraving

another plate engraving or etching
this is my sixth year of doing them

this one, called "the builders",
was done on a zinc plate about five by seven inches

if you make an error it shows
you can't erase

a wax coating is applied, then scratched off the plate
then dipped in a 75% solution of nitric acid, cleaned,
inked and printed on paper that has been soaked
in water

it is a slow process of planning, preparation and execution
one at a time is printed

click on the photo to enlarge

a snowy day

here is a tiny a village in the alps near bessans, france.
click on the photo to enlarge. the alps are beautiful.

tram ride

Four young italians on tram 8

were laughing and taking photos

of the back of a mans head

riding on the tram.

(not just the head –

the whole man was riding on the tram)

The elderly balding man

had a five cent piece

stuck on the back of his head.

toward home

turning toward home

i walk collar up, huddled in random, quiet thought

amid the turmoil of cobblestoned old roma

tempered by the ages

of michelangelo, bernini,

shelly, keats,

and fellini

“oh, marcello” laments sophia

these weary streets are covered by now silent footsteps

put down through the ages

between some dusted grey buildings

nearly black, unattended

or vulgared in dashes by modern signage

how swiftly leaps time

day and night swing over

venders, thieves, beggars

in alleys

swarmed with map-clad tourists

while around thunder large buses and sirens

and all passersby suck exhaust

above are broken shutters, some missing

weather worn graffiti scratched in stone

potted plants on high-railed private terraces face the sky so as to look away from it all

core of me

the dentist says my tooth has a crack in

So its going to happen

extraction

another tooth is goin’ away

i’ve lost a few already

like someone who loses a limb and still has feelings in it

could this tooth be the core of me

maybe they’re all wrong and my brains are in it

the very core of me

yank it and I’ll be gone

wait and see

the last to know

okay
so i have a bit of disability
but i thought it impaired only my disposition
(i never read the instructions)

with confidence, courage and meri
we went to a week long ski place in the alps of bessans, france

it was more like Curly, Larry and Meri
(i was Curly)

and it was not actually a "week long" ski place
because it was still there when we left

should i start over?

okay
so we went to this place where
i dug, ground and pushed my face into the snow and ice
more than necessary

but it was fun, of a sort

my friend Max, one of the ski instructors
took me out of the beginners class in the first minute
and put me into the "absolute beginners" class

so i'll tell you -
those frenchies ski a lot.
we saw this kid about five doing a down hill
then fall flat backwards
AND THEN HE BENT UPWARD AND KEPT GOING!
he was down about one second

i saw a friend fall and got up in about three seconds

when i fell
i laid there a while and thought about things
like - what time is lunch?
where was i? the place looked familiar
in a white and snowy sort of way

i had long wooden stick-things tied onto my feet
how could i position them to stand up?

it took about five minutes to get up, everytime
sometimes i had help
sometimes i took the help down with me

wanna help?

i don't know if they will let me come back
i think i am on a list somewhere