Tuesday, April 22, 2008
volume
for speakers in airports
in buses, in buildings, outside
anywhere announcements are made
are: "on" or "off"
"on" means blasting to the fullest extent possible
nearly improbable
unbelievable, absurd
distortion is a synonym
"off" means broken
or someone forgot to turn it on
the pyramids
back then
do you think we could
do it again?
Monday, April 21, 2008
a non-fiction guy thing
could happen to you
i put mayonnaise in my suitcase
the next day she found it in my shoe
I admit i didn't check the lid
that's the worst i did
so what can a fellow do?
if not me, then who?
but nothing gooey came out
that's how the story ends
with promises to do better
we're still friends
(i think she's watchin' me)
taste
and thought when target and others makes new tiles
why not do decent copies of beautiful tiles from history?
why produce new inferior designs?
sure, new sells, but you can sell anything
some old stuff is incredible
don't buy into fashion when it is base
why not remake old cars, old clothes
old everything that was beautiful and loved
using modern materials
let's cut the trash and clean the globe
with a bit of taste
Sunday, April 20, 2008
a second good idea
and now that's done
let's move ahead far
bring on the stupid one
extra wide, extra long, gas guzzler
one tiny window, under-inflated tires
no mirrors, sluggish manual steering, no muffler
also runs on coal fires
music to my knees
would you play it as gently
again, if you please
you know, somehow
and this i don't mean lightly
that melody touches me
extemporaneously?
how did that come about?
it was not planned, merely stumbled upon?
what i hear in that
takes me up somehow
turns me 'round
i want it with me
to carry away, to take home
bring out when i'm alone
i need to listen again
to learn what it is saying to me
so i can respond properly
i want to respond
i know i can
it is talking to me
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
auto-overdrive
the mediterranean was sweeping waves of long green stems
with yellow flowers
and it all broke on the shore
i was neck deep and flopping
karolina made the hotel beds in polish military fashion
we were bound like mummies
using shrink wrap
to keep us in place
three thousand years
yesterday she wore her cupcake howitzer bra
mounted on twin staggered gun mounts
one aimed high, one covering the field
in the lobby as she turned my way
i prudently took a step back
Happy is the acting hotel director
how could you name your son Happy
and not get what you'd expect?
Happy, shut up. Happy, sit down.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
without a net
on our way training down
south of roma, south of napoli
the pearl of the med
to get sand in our shoes
a sleepy place with nothing going on
after three days we’ll be friends with the guy who drives the local bus to town where the pizza is good
we’ll be there
with no net, no kidding, and too cold to swim
but the hotel remembers us
not actually, of course, unless they have chips
this one doesn’t even have rice crispies
something for the kids of the future to look forward to
chips implanted in hotels so it remembers you
“Oh, not you again, you little...”
back in this time warp
we like carolina, she’s the polish worker
she will be the only one there
the old lady has something with the bones in her foot
can’t get shoes on and won’t be there
we’ll be the only guests
our terrace is large
right on the beach
nothing to do
a tv in the lobby, hardly on
only the lapping of the mediterranean
on and on, rolling back and forth
dragging rocks on the shore
space to read, write, draw and observe
then while walking the shore
looking far off, out to sea or toward the clouds
i’ll think of you
stuff with the big guys
if we could stuff basketballs
soar way over the rim and drop it in
we’d make millions on a two year contract
pose for picture so countless others
could hang it on their wall
sign an autograph if we had to
have a driver take us around
get the best seats everywhere
and get all the drugs we need before we have to
leave our place in the sun for a few days to testify
Saturday, April 12, 2008
when in rome
1952 audrey hepburn and gregory peck filmed roman holiday
that was good, however
mary kate and ashley olsen's movie
when in rome , filmed in 2002
was meridith's international film debut
they shot a scene on our street, via dei cappellari
where the girls walked by
at the same time meri stuck her head out of our window
to see what was going on down there
and is clearly seen for one second in the film
she did it in one take
without a rehearsal or makeup
and they didn't even have to ask her to look out the window
when they send the first million
we'll split it with you
(you notice i've got my hand on it already)
Friday, April 11, 2008
day starts quickly
day starts quickly
without hesitation
the orange ball is up, on its way
for another loop through the heavens
i rapid shower and dress
my wet hair’s a mess
an hour swiftly passed, no more
coffee down, i’m out the door
Thursday, April 10, 2008
grim riders
silent-trance bus riders
in blank, unblinking stare
look ahead, deep, slow eyed and unseeing
haunting with their faces
seated facing me was one of those
of the impermeable, inpenetrable void
not knowing
just there
set in icy stone
an uncaring, unforgiving dead grim gaze
born of fear and oppression
passed by generations
that witnessed gladiators fight to the death
sons turn cold
and heretics burn at the stake
a locked down scowl that will out wait hell
refuses happiness exists, or hope a possibility
moments before her stop
she mysteriously transported herself
from the dark ages to the modern era
having readjusted her face, she left the bus
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
rubbish
a ball of rubbish
the size of texas
is floating in the sea
it’s not science fiction
who’s cleaning this up?
not you, not me
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
the writer's life, both of them
the little woman is telling me
a writer’s life’s too narrow
sighted only on what he can see
i see it like a winged sparrow
while the powerful princess whacks away
i’ve got to write my own, you see
let’s lift our hats to the writers work
without the mcmurtrys where would we be
the saga ends all to soon
give me the great stories and actors to play
winter’s gone, it’s nearly june
be content writers know what to say
the words fly on like a wounded sparrow
as thought lines soar, rush and dart
nearly downed by the random arrow
coming to rest, so near the heart
i’ll labor on long as i am able
the ship goes down while runs the rat
i hear her say, “supper’s on the table”
now tell me, how’d she do that?
Monday, April 07, 2008
times are a changing - right now they are
had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the colosseum
ten years ago none would have
Sunday, April 06, 2008
parliment
the first saturday of the month the italian senate is open for visitors
we waited in line forty-five minutes in light rain
this former residence where the government works
is palazzo madama
built upon the ancient baths of nero
the palace was completed in 1505 for the medici family
two medici cardinals who later became popes lived here
the painter caravaggio worked and lived here for five years
the large stone structure was redone again in 1650
four stories with hundreds of rooms
the enterior is elaborate, ornately decorated in the period and splendid
both government houses meet and many have their offices here
the corridors are long, the ceilings high and ornate
impressive is the large chamber where the senate convenes
we saw it from above in the audience gallery
that chamber is on the tv news every week
it was a nice change of pace to be in the seat of the government
all we had to do was wait patiently in a light rain