Saturday, May 03, 2008
this internet
this internet
the new greatest show on earth
information galore
slimy, quick cheap, down and dirty
pivotal, pointed and prostituted
how much do you want
how much do you need
how much can you take
how much do you care
II.
a blog is something that must be worked
tilled and toiled over
not like paying money
to name a star after yourself
now ready for that
i'd rather stand by the sea
wait for a fish to jump
and say, "that one is jack"
(that one is me)
III.
this little piece of cyber space
i'm going to measure off as mine
then work on it, lay it out
to make it shine, shine, shine, shine, shine
Friday, May 02, 2008
on the streets
absorbed in filtered exhilaration by the beating heart of the city
i waited for a bus
i had on a black t-shirt
an artists bag over my shoulder
an italian couple approached
"do you have a cigarette?" he asked
i held up mine i was smoking and said, "this one. I'm quitting."
then she asked bus information to via nationale
a couple in a passing car stopped on the busy street to shout over a demand for directions to the termini
i must have looked like the information guy
then a pair of french women in passable italian wanted to know how to get to the coliseum as my bus, seventy, approached
theirs, the eighty-seven, was right behind
"take the eighty-seven" i pointed
the final query of the day came later as
i left the old esquilino market
this from an older unkempt guy holding something, a pamphlet?
i nodded him off when he asked if i was a roman
though i like to talk
what he had to say i didn't need
it is necessary to qualify even the inquisitors
while bearing the necessary resignation of existence
on the streets of roma
old corners
weathered angles i know well
old corners repainted
some bearing visible repairs
around me italian faces change
yet remain the same over ages
above church bells chime the hours
rolling below the great river flows
Thursday, May 01, 2008
perspective
franklin roosevelt was still alive
had a pair of six-guns the day i turned five
that was a long time ago
When I was a kid my friend's grandmother kept her father's old civil war uniform cleaned and pressed, hanging in the closet. The memory got me thinking so I added it up recently and discovered I was born eighty years after Lincoln died. Sixteen years after Wyatt Earp died in 1929.
Now to put it into perspective for you, kid, because someday, someone will say to you "Wow, you were born B.G. Before Google."
Google began in 1996.
Let me hold your arm to steady you.
off-day
two weeks ago when friends were here
we were twelve deep from the rail
all the way around the fountain and down below
today you could have driven a large bus through there
a light-sprinkle off-day in roma
is like a cornfield after the first snowfall
the crows go home
to spend the day watching crow television
eating micro-crow popcorn
for tourists a sprinkle
creates a museum day
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
the Ritz, our town theater
the photos out front pulled us in
we were guided to our seats with flashlights
older folks lined the back in the soft seats
as voices of kids on the hard wooden ones
echoed all the way from the front row
a while ago
now torn down and way gone
not a brick or stone remains of that space we still have in our heads
that place we watched the big screen
ate the popcorn
heard the big themes
sang and danced to the stars
laughed at the clowns
fell in love on the beach
and rode west with cowboy heroes
where has it all gone without a trace
i'm sure there are others who recall and smile
so, for them and for us
here's a salute to long ago and very far away
that special place
when i woke
i must have sung your song ten thousand times
and every time i start
it's like cannons in my heart
going off half-cocked
while i'm half blind
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
roma sunlight
the appealing angle of roma sunlight
how golden is the morning at eight
in late April by the river
you cannot avoid the glow
you wouldn't want to
morning bird
quite loud and near
i thought he was caged
in spring he returns
like blackie who visited for years
who would have imagined we'd find a new bird associate in the heart of roma
best friends you take when they appear
and birds are the same
paolo above us leaves at six ten like a ghost into smoke
then the soldier above him closes, loudly locks his door and clomps down the stairs in heavy military boots
the floor below ours has a broken step
he hits it everytime
then slams the front door and shakes the building
the bird in the morning
starts before paolo
and leaves before the soldier
Monday, April 28, 2008
hard as stone
At Despar, as in desperate, I got milk for cereal and orange juice. They didn't have the water I wanted and with one cashier and fifty people and a couple dogs in line, I put back the milk and orange juice, pulled my empty cart home, then passed another half mile to the other side of our neighborhood to our least favorite store.
When I got there workmen were cementing the wall in the middle of the entrance and exit isle. The other three hundred shoppers jammed in the doorway didn't seem to notice.
I got milk. They didn't have skinless. Got orange juice in a strange set of containers that I couldn't see cause they were wrapped up in dark plastic, and I got water. Again, not the kind I wanted, but there were six of them and I brought the cart to get it home.
I waited in line with twenty-five older shoppers, and I didn't call them old ladies cause I know they're tough and if you blink or quit paying attention they'll squeeze in front of you. When it was my turn to go for the register on the left, straight or to the right I saw a guy come out'a nowhere and go left, so I went straight and was third in the new line. Nobody said anything about the line cutter, including me, cause we all know we'll do it when we have the chance.
When the clerk tallied up my stuff I gave her a fifty bill cause it was all I had. They usually ask for exact change but she took it and gave me over forty-five euros in change. They don't, can't or won't count back change ever. So when I saw my purchase cost less then five euros I took it and stuffed it and the receipt in my pocket wondering how I faired today. Years ago I would have counted it and helped the clerk out if she gave me too much, but that was years ago. Now I take it and hope for the best. For all the torture they put us through going shopping it is worth a good break once in a while.
I am supposed to have low calcium for my kidneys. The water I bought probably builds strong teeth and bones and maybe hardens cement for highways.
At home I had to use pliers to open the water, so the guy who fills the bottles out back with a hose must use glue on the lids so you feel it's really sealed.
I added up the figures on the receipt and found it correct. I didn't make any extra today, but I'm home and she's still flying. Next week she'll go shopping cause she always thinks ahead. I can wait around and see what we're going to eat and I know we will cause she gets hungry first.
Sail on, silver girl.
spectacular trash
that's why they pass it out or mail it
you don't lack a pack, do you?
i have extra
what's the use
i'm cleaning up the scraps
the museo di roma in trastevere
printed well, nice pictures
two brochures on quality paper
my expired bus pass
a restaurant receipt
another thing from who knows where
on and on, taking up space
trees are cut and turned to mush
so we can rush this stuff home
put a happy face sticker on it
and throw it away
have a nice day
Sunday, April 27, 2008
double up
the occasional chinese food luncheon
this sunday we went to bufetto due
meri had a salad
i ordered the giant house pizza
thirty seconds after my pizza arived
i was cutting it when it did
an involuntary triple axle grand slam
inverted one hundred eighty degrees
and smashed itself face down into my lap
after lunch we walked to the stone benches
in front of palazzo farnese and sat a few minutes
i was examining the pizza stains on my pants
when a bird flew over and shit on my hands
both of them
how was your sunday?
nico's day
if i see him i'll greet him
this guy is full of love for the world
and energy
the bridge - ponte
no jacket needed
just shoulder pads
what a crunch
so friday was rome's birthday
i asked a roman why saturday was packed
it's the ponte, the bridge
you don't just have a day
you have a season
they always need a day or more
on either side of a holiday
to get into it
and to recover
like a dream
because it was as if the radio had just been invented
we knew the tunes and they had our number
how well i remember the hits of '58
fifty years ago i was thirteen
the edsel, the hula hoop and BOAC
began the first transoceanic service
we looked both ways before crossing
we had our heads on properly
were looking at life right straight ahead
mom had to keep telling me
not to slam the screen door
Saturday, April 26, 2008
i feel like you
that doesn't mean that i feel as if i like you
it means i feel about as you feel
but not completely
i don't wake up groping for the keys to your car
in my pocket or anything
i don't feel like that
now i'm not sure what i mean
or how i feel about it
so forget it
how do you feel about that?
listen, some of the stuff i write is crap
i know that, that's what writers are good at
the point is
it's not like i'm hiding it
i put it out with a purpose
two more, juliano. yeah, the red.
like you, i can recognize a good poem
and wonder how many did emily dickenson or robert frost leave buried in a drawer
sarah teasdale, i like her work also
geeze, i mention a couple of poets and feel like i've got to keep naming them
what i want to say is that
everyone has a different voice
every poet makes that choice
and when words work hot it's a kind of magic
when not - more like deforestation - nearly tragic
we'd learn if we could read
the partial poems the poets put aside
examine what was rejected
those things the great ones let slide
most often go undetected
so now this one is lying there like road kill
so enjoy it like sneaking through someone's refrigerator
Friday, April 25, 2008
ok start here
who needs all this laughter
and funny stuff
just give me some boredom
and a book to read
i am old cause i don't get fashion,
style, mode, loud music
mr. humblegger, your table is ready
who cares
lincoln speak
he told me that when his grandfather was a boy
in the south people gathered on a hill somewhere
to hear abraham lincoln speak
the grandfather was blind since birth, and an old man
when he told jordan
how he heard lincoln's sharp voice, high-pitched, clear like a trumpet over the crowd
i can let those words set
and ring in your head
like lincoln's must have done
to that boy who knew he was hearing the president
Thursday, April 24, 2008
poetini
you have a life, right?
it's nice you take a look
but i'm not going to keep you
there - a couple of lines
you read it
fine, like that, okay, forget it
and we're both out'a here
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
birthday
over trajan's market by the forum
crowds were downtown last night
roma is celebrating birthday number 2761
how about that? two thousand seven hundred sixty-one
an old cat was walking around the ruins looking harmless
but the seagull thought otherwise and kept squawking
the feline eventually got the hint and departed
we were street level above the ruins, looking down on them
the official roma birthday day day is 21 april
nothing happened then, it was just selected as the day
meanwhile festivities will go on until 9 may
that's like roma, no quick birthday
people are out there now, concerts are going on
and that tells you a lot about how this city operates
in brief, like everything,
they make it up for the occasion
and do whatever they want
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
Saturday, April 05, 2008
talking with eagles
what i mean is
talking with egos
nearly the same, isn’t it
to review (and avoid confusion)
eggos were some artificial egg food
leggos are toys to build with
and egos are yet to be determined as to function
although i am quite sure it has
something to do with artificial intelligence
Friday, April 04, 2008
return to roma
the paris metro to charles de gaulle
packed like i’ve never seen
barely had space to stand
ibid.a.
we got on the metro
just barely cause it was packed
i don’t like to say, but it’s true
we were that old expression
packed like canned fish
it was rush hour and we were rushing
to the airport
those poor people who do it everyday
are at their limit
there are too many of us
at the airport we got in easily
ibid.b.
saw a couple of old farts
standing outside smoking
before entering the terminal
don’t they know better?
how in the hell do they
expect to live forever?
our flight was delayed
the number of people in the waiting area
was more than i’ve ever, ever seen
i went down to the restroom
entered the air france first class lounge
had a fine coffee
pocketed a set off cookies to share with meri
took off late
sat by the window and heard people ooohh
when we flew over the alps
the lady in front of me took about
eight flash photos into the sun
before she turned off the flash
i then saw the L-like where land went west to france and south to italy and roma
coming in we circled around roma
the vatican stood up like an ice cream cone
then we swung over the turquoise med
came in and landed
this morning at nine we left for the airport in paris
at five p.m. we were in our roma apartment
it took nine hours for a less than two hour flight
the eagle has landed
and will sleep in his own bed tonight
some paris along the way
a lot to see
style and art abounds in this city paris
from the top of the arc de triomphe there is quite a view
i’m dipping my morning toast in coffee
thinking about it
initial plans were sketchy but we happened to be
there on the street when the taxi showed up with
my one-time little kid now with a family of his own
everyone has grown
saw, walked, laughed and talked for a couple of days
we flew in, we fly out
they go on their way
while time is always flying
happened so fast
Thursday, April 03, 2008
paris notes, more
down some city street
a lady hurridly walking by
dropped her reading glasses
seemed to throw them nearly at my feet
as she quickly stopped
bent and reached to retrieve them
she kicked them a little
so they skidded a few feet
back up then kneeling a second time to pick them up
noticing i saw it all
she looked toward me
and half-smiled self consciously
at the impromptu comedy of errors
paris ride
leisurely viewing the city
coming back from versailles
the bus stopped several times
some people left, while some arrived
still others scampered to change seats
moving like mice in a maze
until all were satisfied
what we had this morning
was a scenic nice ride
with son and his family - notes in paris
two young daughters
charged for travel
kept up with four adults
or we kept up with them
through the d’Orsay museum
yes, the art is great
but so is the most interesting building
then to sacre coeur, mont martre
up and down the metro stairs
so many times, how did they do it?
i know we climbed
three eiffel towers worth
not a whimper, conflict or complaint all day
but unaccustomed to minding the store
the quiet little voices burnt our candles at both ends
one for each of them
back at six p.m.
to take a nap, that’s us
while mom and dad hold the fort
the kids are still going strong
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
paris impression
got up early
slowly taking our time
decided not to rush
we’re here, all is fine
after breakfast we began to search for what means paris
out there
larger than we knew
got into it, walked, bused
and the city kept up with us, kept sprawling
so clean, elegant and alive
it does move along
like the rapid seine goes through it
with not buses enough
or artists enough
to paint the whole collage
stately, fluid in motion
needed a mime like marcel marceau
to interpret a bit
how paris is
depends which table you get
if the sun’s in you eyes
or the towers at your back
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
paris note
flew to paris today
under two hours from roma
took longer to and from the airports
missed lucky lindy by eighty-one years
well, didn’t miss him
never knew the guy
lindy was years ahead
but wait, i’m still checking it out
Monday, March 31, 2008
our little bit
for sure the world is big
when checking the maps
or traveling around you see
there are places on our globe
for everybody
the net and the news and the information
makes it smaller
with more than we need to know
more than anyone can ingest
as exponentially it expands
the good side is that if we each do
our little tiny part to make it better
that good also grows exponentially
Sunday, March 30, 2008
used to dress
there was a time
people dressed for ball games
women in dresses and hats
men wore suits and ties
i was a kid when i saw ted williams
step to the plate at cleveland stadium
that game it was the first pitch he slammed
giving that ball a good-bye ride
uncle pat ran the beer concession
dad took me to see uncle pat
the brits were in roma today for a big soccer game
walking the streets drinking beer
dressed as if for a sleep over
or cleaning the basement
not like it was
the way we do
as times change
we do too
Saturday, March 29, 2008
market today
a new flavor in the market today
call it near spring
sun at mid day divides the piazza
leaving something for everyone
with winter run away
warmer air
brings new modes of dress
flowers and vegetables gleam
to outshine each other
new faces, as always
“ciao, jack”
and the regular venders
“ciao pio.”
it’s new air to breathe
“marcella, stai bene?”
a new day, a great day
“tut’okay”
she smiled
“va bene”
va molto bene
Friday, March 28, 2008
laughing gas
five minutes before my appointment
i slip into my shoes and walk over
that’s something positive about living in the inner city
perky dentist helper has been cleaning teeth for fifteen years
does it well
firm, delicate, yet no holds barred
she says do i want gas
talking to me, of course
maybe she was talking to herself
but i heard her plain as day
sure, fill me up
and this rubber scorpion from a sci-fi movie
was plugged over my face
after a while i claimed no affect
and got her to turn up the juice
suddenly dentist appears
fools around doing this and that
then before i know it
he got ready to do a cavity, mine
then pulled out an extra long needle
waved it around and warned this is going to hurt
that’s too bad for someone i thought
then looking around i knew he was talking to me
cause the dentist helper wasn’t there anymore
and i let him drive that thing through my gums
into the dark recesses of my now vibrating skull
the more i develop through life experience
the scarier it gets, i visualize too much
because i see tiny errors in judgment, chinks
in good guys in white hats and white masks armor
the dentist speaks five languages
is known as very skilled
however, as we spoke i suggested
and admittedly knowing nothing about dentistry
perhaps, perhaps, perhaps it would be keen
if he said x per cent of the patients
find the needle into the gums uncomfortable
instead of scaring the shit out ‘a me
by telling me it was “liable to be really painful”
two seconds before ahab rams the harpoon into my skull
no wonder he wears a mask
Thursday, March 27, 2008
cold as a frog
when i wake these days
for the first moments i’m
definitely cautious with my movements
it’s only mid march
not yet spring, got my socks on now
the last of winter’s holding on, it seems
still dark
when i start
the coffee and computer
there’s a chill in my bones
as i glance toward the window from my chair
to observe the colors of progressing dawn
calmly i’m working on getting up to speed
will get underway soon as i can, but tell me,
it’s frigid these days in the early hours, isn’t it?
and either this year’s colder
or it’s merely another effect
of getting older
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
dark prognosis
terrible times
endless pain, not now
just thinking about
the dentist
whacka, whacka,
whirrr, grrr
a carpenter in my mouth
i'd have to say hi
and i'd get used to it
after a while, i suppose
and talk him out of it
blood everywhere
extraction
it's his secretary confirming the appointment
i heard laughter hidden in her voice
they must know i'm thinking bout it
except for tormenting wind, spattering rain,
foreboding clouds, horrible chill
and a forecast for more
lost in blogland
some entries i want to stay out front
the buffalo i wrote 45 years ago and it stands today
it was posted jan 21 on my blog
here is a link to peppy grillo's blog
listen to the words of robert kennedy linked on his blog
note how politics and visions have changed
money, what happened
it didn't use to be money
not when i was a kid
oh, money was the thing for some
not as widely pursued as now
the mothers stayed home
the fathers went to work
we had other things
we had love and family
and stuff we liked to do
other than watching the tv
and the golden rule
you remember that don't you?
do on to others
as you want them to do unto you
old folks kept us in line with a glance
and we respected them
that's how we were taught
and it wasn't bad
we got along
we used to be in this thing
together
hey, i'm just saying
Monday, March 24, 2008
menu
she is worried about my cognitive ability
because i can’t read a menu
i haven’t been able to read a menu for thirty years
ever since john belushi on saturday night live
did that hamburger, cheeseburger, pepsi skit
when i get a menu i want one choice
take it or leave it
i don’t want to sit and read atlas shrugged
if i want something special
i’ll ask for it
“could you give my onions to the cat, please?”
the kiss principle- keep it simple, stupid
let’s remember that
i go to restaurants to eat
when i want to read i’ll go to the library
pope
What is the pope doing playing politics? I understand politics within the church to get elected, but end it there. He’s not a politician on the international scene. In the U.S. there is some kind of division between church and state and I think it should be that way.
Captain Z. is a sea captain, but he doesn’t make hints to Tiger Woods how to putt the ball.
This blob was going to be all poetry and i am crossing the line. Until I get a firm direction I will continue to wander. I am thinking about another blog site for poems, one for art and one for tips on wiping your butt. What am I doing here?
Sunday, March 23, 2008
z, on the road
z & company on the road
is quite a show
now you’ve been told
picked us up in bari
took us back to monopoli
a little town on the adriatic
our apartment building was very old
just down the street from z and iwona
the ceilings i estimate as eighteen feet high
tall windows and period furniture were the highlight
narrow stone streets
great vegetables in the outdoor market
the old port was one alley over
quiet as it should be
and full of the local fishing boats
of all kinds and shapes
the italian monterrey was among them
most boats were painted the
traditional blue and white
the nice stone walk around the port
was flat and smooth as the rest of the town
this place has been cared for
we saw it with the locals still there
before the money speculators arrived
friday evening before a big religious ceremony
i stopped at a market
though we are 98 percent vegetarian i
broke our food tradition
bought a ham and cheese sandwich
a chance to enjoy the local cuisine
and was eating it when z. and company arrived
they reminded me it was good friday
as we walked toward the cathedral
to see the local event of the season
i stayed in the back of the group
and ate quickly
stuffing it with both hand
like a squirrel eating a nut
meri walked up front with the group
acting like the sandwich was all my idea
thus assuring her place in the good heaven
i licked my fingers only to rid mayonnaise traces
paint
but it's cold, better wait
anyway, on a scale from one to whatever
paint is an eight
I like painting
i was painting the walls
i am, can you smell it
i am a paintist
i will march with the painters
and become a member of the paintist party
i belive in paintiscism
holy mother of paint
paint with us painters
now and at the hour our can is dry
it has a fragrant bouquet
i wonder if paint
is safe to eat
and they are just not telling us
Friday, March 21, 2008
jelly fine advice
meri always says
"quit licking your fingers"
but she is not the one with honey
dripping all over
let me clear that up
not all over really
just all over my fingers
and for this
i think my hand is lickable
the soonerable, the betterable
or the honey will be floorable
so, jellylovers
my advice is this
like it or not
lick it or else
i have to be careful now
cause that one i wrote yesterday
had a line that sounded like it came from hallmark
and i almost puked
see i wrote them for a job once forty years ago
wanted to be their poet
they wrote back and said they had one already
must have been the guys mother
(and don’t comment to this blog
that jellylovers is two words and not one
cause i like it that way or i’ll to put
you on my list to)
Thursday, March 20, 2008
buona pasqua - happy easter
captain z. and iwona are in italy
drove 20 hours from poland
then called tuesday from bari
where filip’s in school
his phone out of range, end of that tact
after i emailed both he and his son
nothing happened, were we done?
then to the termini
found the trains full
flights too expensive
bus seats were nil
easter week came early this year
we thought we’d spend time
near the adriatic sea, but it fell through
that idea is not going to float
plans mean more than good intentions
this we again learned, again the hard way
meri checked now and found a lower flight fare
made arrangements to leave in the morning by air
so these daily lines i create will pause
be assured it’s for a very good cause
for friends may come, friends may go
it’s better when you see them though
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
when you get to heaven
when you get to heaven
you’ll never wait in line
smiles greet you everywhere
all you do is fine
you’ll dress in style, lead the pack
score the winning mark
the family will be filled with amazing joy
always sunday in the park
you can sleep in every morning
of that there is do doubt
mealtime means seconds of everything
and they don’t have sour kraut
(be sure to thank god for that)
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
coffee or tea
whle i was talking on the phone
meri made me a hot drink in a large cup
i thought it was tea
terrible tea
too strong
lousy taste
after the phone call finished
i got up to put honey in it
she said, “don’t” it was coffee, not tea
ninety percent of the time we drink italian coffee
this was american style coffee
hey, the cup was big and it looked dark
just like strong tea
what a revelation
how powerfully the mind imagines
it was the worst, strongest tea ever
but it was fine coffee
i had it again ten hours later
and it was still good coffee
how can i be old and still be learning?
now i'll learned to pay attention to her
while i'm talking on the phone to someone else
Monday, March 17, 2008
our dear planet
the trash is piling up
it's floating in the sea
clean fresh water is running out
we need clean water to drink
the world population has
doubled in my lifetime
do we care about our children
media doesn't speak all of the truths
money is leading globalization
we think what is lost
depends what it costs
Saturday, March 15, 2008
rome marathon
to run the cobblestones in marathon 2008
an estimated 50,000 will be in a 4k fun run
the weather is close to perfect
the runners say it’s a great way to see the city
non-stop tv coverage for the three hour event
features spectacular helicopter views
we go out to yell encouragement to the runners
then watch the rest on tv
the day before we saw roma our favorite way
on a bus ride, and while passing piazza del popolo
crowds of kilted scotch fans were walking along
drinking beer in preparation for a big rugby match
as we crossed a bridge over the tevere i mentioned,
"I've been here on my motorino."
there was a pause
my dear one was surprised and perplexed
"What? You've been hearing your motorino?
In your sleep, or can you hear it now?
Like a ringing in your ears?”
that was a frightening thought
since i had gotten rid of my motorino a few years ago
"No, I said, I've been here, on my motorino."
two old ladies
while pulling into the termini
i saw the two old ladies, older than most
who live on the corner by the train station
i walked over to the disheveled pair to learn of them
though they ask for nothing
pulling out a ten, it was i with the question
who handles the money?
both wore dresses, blankets and many sweaters
one took the bill, one stayed aloof
by showing an interest in their lives
the one who took the money began speaking
she said it was tougher now, life was rougher
twenty years they've been on that exposed corner
with their belongings in two shopping carts
when it's cold and rainy they sleep in the station
not to impose, i didn't ask much
are they too old and crazy to teach us anything?
what they say, what they know
did old greeks say 3000 years ago
Friday, March 14, 2008
brushing teeth, mine
thinking how my grandmother used to like
saturday tv with the midgets wrestling
Your mother's mother? she asked
"Yes," I said.
"That figures."
now what was that supposed to mean?
i gave her a sharp look, i did
you should have seen it
anyway i didn't really fall asleep
zoned out into brushing land
more like it
a mild trance state
perfectly normal
it happens, right?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
the information future
things
are happening so fast
more than anyone can grasp
you can't keep up
try as you might
it's blurring out
beyond sight
at record breaking speed
much more than we need
keep out of the way
they've pulled out the stops
let it roar on, roll on
'til it drops, or is drained
the seams are all strained
it's a runaway
wish the best to the future
wish it the very best
it is humming ignited
and flying nearsighted
exponentially
the hurrier it gets, the faster it grows
the larger it gets, the faster it goes
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
dim & sons
are going on here at the same time
they certainly must be observant
i wonder what channel they're watching
now, with eleven dimensions all in this space,
i know why you can stand alone and sill feel
crowded in your kitchen
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
'52 chevy
(that's the rail station in roma)
had a '52 chevy pickup truck on display in the lobby
it was surprising to see it there
you don't see american vehicles in italy
well the termini and the times have changed
but i was thinking about my '52 chevy pickup today
i'm not sure when i saw the one in rome
or when i had mine
both were a while ago
1990 or so
mine was sweet
some young woman sold it to me
it was her x-boyfriends, he left it at her place
i guess she was upset with him
she sold it for three hundred bucks
it needed about a hundred dollars worth of work
by cousin don, a real pro and old vehicle lover
made my truck tick like an old singer sewing machine
cousin don wasn't my cousin before i met him
i found him through an add in a newspaper
but he remained a dear cousin and kept my truck tuned
until the day he died
how very dear that old truck was
original everything
even had a san francisco giants sticker from the fifties
on the rear window
a white billiard cue ball on the floor gear shift
the interior i had redone in original leather style
it had a visor over the windshield
some old dents, not too many
i did a green and black two-tone paint job
with a brush and matt finish
it looked factory done and aged by time
how sweet, it ran with such a tick, tick, tick
and i rode the old classic
everywhere in and around san francisco
so many time we crossed the golden gate
alas, we moved away and i sold it
where has it gone
like watching my children who have grown
like seeing all turn into the past
we love life
endure it
do the best we can
and the big wheel keeps on turning, tick, tick, tick
once in a while
we look back and recall
still keeping our heads up
as we move on into the future
Monday, March 10, 2008
too many
it started
there was the outdoor market down the street
meri picked up some good vegetables
i slept
we had coos coos and artichokes that meri made
i had negative contribution
after lunch
we went out and it was cool, but nice in the sun
from campo dei fiori full of tourists
we took a 62 bus as far as san silvestro
some how we wandered into the galleria
named for the beloved actor alberto sordi
a great old building converted into a mall
a fifty foot high stained glass ceiling and beautiful rose marble arches and niches in the well-sculptured structure
built about a hundred fifty years ago
they don't do this quality now
we were going to have a coffee and little half sandwich called a tramezzino, but prices were too high
2.50 to sit down with coffee
2.40 for a tramezzino that are usually 1.30
that 2.50 euro is 3.85 in u.s. dollars
coffee used to cost fifty cents
when italy first went to the euro prices immediately doubled
they haven't slowed
weekly news stories bemoan excelerating food prices
out the side door at a pizza place we bought a slice each
meri noted that when we were first in roma eighteen years ago
the pizza was always made on sight
now it is shipped in and re-heated in a microwave
fast food has arrived
romans are noticeably heavier
around the corner was trevi fountain
we wound through the crushing crowd and i took Meri to the photo
exhibition that i saw last week at the Igovernment printing lab
outside was jammed. inside there was no one and four rooms of historic photos in this free exhibit
no advertising. no crowd.
photos of old Roma dated from 1845 to about 1870
we noted the differences from a hundred fifty years ago
then there were empty fields, now in that same area are city streets and apartment buildings
it has changed from few people to full of people
we have seen so much change in our lifetime
i first flew in a Ford Tri-motor prop plane before crowds
and before jets were the common airliner
a couple of years ago i was getting off a packed bus at chiesa nuova, a crazy italian guy who had been talking all along the way, got off at the same stop and said to me
"there's too many of us."
"what are you saying" i asked. i understood his words in italian, but wanted clarification about what he'd said
"people. i am talking about the earth's population. there are too many of us."
i nodded, said something in agreement and went on my way
about two months later Meri and I were in San Diego, California walking down a busy street. in the group coming our way was a crazy guy talking to everyone. just as he passed us he turned back and said directly to me, "there are too many of us."
it shocked me, but i kept walking. it was the same guy.
it took me about a second to remember the other time and when i turned back to him i said
"hey, you just told me that two weeks ago." but he was already gone, invisible in the crowd
Saturday, March 08, 2008
two dancers
set up in front of Feltrinelli book store
when we were there
they had black and white outfits
one had stripes on her skirt, the other checks
a small sound system and taps on their shoes
their music began - it was anything goes
look at them tap, tap, tap, tap, shuffle, ball-change
the second song was put the blame on mame
this was at the bus stop across from largo argentina
some people paid attention
the girls had a routine and danced away
after a few more numbers
they took their collection basket and
music system and evaporated to across the street
enjoying it, taking what coins they earned
something to do dancers, helping us all
with their tap, tap, tap,tap, shuffle, ball-change
hear me
where I begin to understand
why a man not primarily an author wrote so many books
there is always more to do
and have burnt my thumb enough
to know why church boys use
long brass stick-things to light deep candles
it pays to be careful
and i know why i’m not
like a seven year old
that pops up in the morning
and starts hopping and running around
kids can do that
i’ve done circles
and pop in the morning
so i get up sounding like someone eating
breakfast cereal out of a box
Friday, March 07, 2008
noise
amid narrow stone alleys
the tired depths of old roma
nearly quiet
well after midnight
a woman's clicking heels on pavement stones
tap sharp
rhythmic echoing clicks
small, light hammers on an anvil
like voices from those passing on the street
that scale the walls to windows above
and to the roof tops
then, early
in silent dawn
a small delivery truck
the size of a golf cart
starts its engine
roars, barks and sparks
loud without a muffler
limping from a storage area
under the arch, heading the other way
toward the outdoor market in piazza campo dei fiori
here, thirty yards from the arch
the sound like a chainsaw gone mad rattles our windows
people who live the way he passes
those people
those poor sleep interrupted people
i pity every market day
for roma has no ordinance
against noise
Thursday, March 06, 2008
some country mile
not quite lost
we paused our car just off to the side
the air was still and nearly warm
we sat looking, talking a while
"let's get out and walk,"
she said and i nodded
enjoying the quiet woods on foot
once by a pattering stream
where sun glinted on
the tapestry of life
this dramatic natural scene
i thought
to stroll with her is always new
now and then we'd hold hands
it seemed we'd gone quite far
you are my everything,
dear partner, all the things you are
interrupting my reverie
calling me back from afar
tenderly she whimpered into my ear
"honey, where'd you park the car?
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
to divulge sad facts
because i take the milk off the stove before it boils
we drink italian coffee and our small apparatus makes the equivalent of two half-cups at a time
at first i used cold milk, but then meri started heating it
but we have to watch it
milk practically explodes when it boils
now i guard against that and attempt to take the milk off the stove early. meri thinks i remove it too quickly.
"i am being prudent," i explain.
"you're like jack lalanne.".
"why jack lalanne?" i asked.
"because he ties his feet to the side of the pool and does
and hour of swimming the breaststroke - everyday," she said.
i see
"it boiled one time and i wanted to prevent it from happening again."
"that's obsessive compulsive behavior!" she declared.
i call it the difference between boys and girls.
tea anyone?
our apartment
one floor up
across our tiny street
is a million dollar apartment
i can practically see in the window
only fifty feet from me and happiness
we have friends in the states who
proudly proclaimed they have a home that was never previously lived in
i bet while they built it the workers used to pee in the corner
our lousy apartment on a former worst street in roma
is over five hundred years old
back then they used to throw crap out the window
(that is a euphemism of course, i don't know what they threw, but they didn't have indoor plumbing, and the romans aren't known for their consideration)
michaelangelo, cellini and bernini could have been here in our building
and if they were, they were probably drunk
this is a former spot for gambling, drinking and a whorehouse
forty years ago even the police wouldn't walk down this street
a hundred paces away is campo dei fiori, the former execution ground
giordorno bruno was burnt at the stake by the church there
because he contradicted the church when he said the earth was not the center of our universe
that bastard
hey, sun goes up, sun goes down
and our crappy, dark, tiny apartment is still here
now on million euro row.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
prospero
he calls to the tourists to bring them closer
in english, french or german
a smattering of languages
near the center of campo dei fiori
by the statue of bruno
at times in the sun
sometime in shade
a simple long table
covered with a cloth
is set with demo vegetables for cutting into curly shapes and spires
prospero he is called
who sells small plastic novelty, yet practical cutters for vegetables
does it from a chair at his table
not from behind the table
but outside, alongside his audience
the jovial old roman
with a look of alert kindness about him
lived thirty years in the ghetto
always did laborer work
now for seven years he has been here
as i pass near i hear tourists chuckle when he blows bubbles
and puts on his entertaining presentation for them
making them laugh
he laughs with them
and enjoys the work
clean and simple
this is retirement done well
Monday, March 03, 2008
a way
between winter and spring
when i need to check twice
to see which coat to bring
the heavy one has a hood
and the day i removed it i started alternating
my light jacket with the hood-less heavy one
depending on how cold it is
depending on the weather
i change all my stuff from one jacket to the chosen other
bam-slam two-fisted organization is the key!
okay, so i kinda got the organization idea from meri
but then, hey, i figured it out my way!
everything gets a certain pocket
so i know where to reach for it
i get my money, coins in one pocket and folded money
i bring my phone - hopefully charged, a pen
my keys and any notes, my id, just the essentials
my bus ticket, cigarettes and lighter
then bam
out the door
on my way
i forgot my keys
what can i say
what do you mean no keys?
i'm locked out!
i was just going to the corner to get a loaf of bread
takes about a minute
meri will be coming out in three to six hours maybe
and i'm locked all the way, way out
this is worse than a couple of months ago
when i came home and didn't have my keys
and heard a voice yelling my name
it was my friend with a shop down the street
i had stopped and sat on the coach and talked a while
my keys fell out of my pocket and she saw them before i reached my locked door
this time i forgot my phone cause i just was going to the corner
meri was home on the third floor in the back room
the door buzzer for the building is broken
but i got the loaf of bread
there was no rock to throw at the window
i tried that once when i was a kid
and broke a neighbors second-story kitchen window
with a mudball that landed in my neighbor's grandmother's pie
thank god my current neighbor on the first floor looked out
saw me and let me in
this time, no problem
i got in
so when all seems lost
don't give in and don't toss rocks
Sunday, March 02, 2008
button fix
when all we do is wake up
to find another thing that doesn't work
another nail in the board of pain
something simple, to be sure
god, i hope it doesn't rain
we can't heat the water
the indicator won't light
despite pushing repeatedly
results were out of sight
the water heater button's broken
of that there's no doubt
finally, the fourth store i checked had another
we're half way to being fixed
i got a card of an electrician from the electrical store
cause we seemed to have an excess of wires
this guys has been working at the italian senate building for twelve years so he must be good
or somebody's cousin
he said he'll show up in three hours
we'll just patiently wait
hot water will be ours
practically easy
nothing is lost
we'll wait and see
how much it will cost
all we need is resolution
to keep to the road until the end
it just seems harder when your older
things take longer to mend
three hours pass and i call the guy again
his phone isn't on, but he calls back in a few minutes
he delays his arrival time and add two more hours to his estimate
so i sit down and wonder and wait, will we really have hot water
he calls and is near, i give final directions and he comes
i'm out on the street when this guy is walking down
i see him and he sees me, there is something about
the way were both looking around that we identify each other
this guy looks like a messy carpet stuffer with a coat on
i don't know what carpet stuffers look like either
but marcello fits the description
and he talks romano which is a street slang, and that gets me worried
who did i hire to do the work here in our home?
i bring him in, marcello asks my name
two minutes later when we're talking he calls me jack
and this is a big leap, cause most italians either can't say my name
or can't remember it
there are problems and he works around them
we talk and get along well
a second switch has to be changed and he does it
he improvises and easily makes things better
what a pleasant adventure to meet a new guy who is sympathetic, normal, and competent.
everything is neat
when i asked the price he said twenty. i gave him thirty and we both are satisfied.
i made a friend and so did he
Saturday, March 01, 2008
autogrill
ahead is a covered bridge that spans the highway
with a parking area on the right and on the left
look! it's not a bridge
it's auto grill
everyone is saved
half way to anywhere in forty countries
you'll find the multinational food and retail conglomerate
at airports and on highways
serves food to drivers
has clean restrooms
and if you go when it is not meal time in italy
it will be nearly empty
at meal time it will be packed
you pull off and park
go up two floors by stairs or an elevator
and the restaurant and store part spans the highway
nice view
want a postcard, chocolate or a small sandwich, t-shirt and coffee
you've got it
(cd's and perfume also available)
Friday, February 29, 2008
fontana di trevi
down the street, just behind trevi fountain
pointing to the closed doors on the opposite side when i
asked a shop keeper why the engraving museum isn't open
he shrugged and said it's one block over
at the fountain i walked around the front
in 19 b.c. romans built the acqueduct
that brings water from the hills 8 miles out of roma
it actually travels 14 miles before it gets here
even water gets the run-around
in 1953 roman holiday with audrey hepburn and cary grant
brought the fountain to our attention
i had walked nearly all the way around before i looked at the fountain
after a hundred times in that square i didn't have to look right away
watching where i was going through the many tourists
kept me occupied
the middle point around i was at the church
the point of the three roads intersecting
tre vie, three roads, trevi
years ago i sat on those church steps opposite the fountain
drawing it for an hour or two
passing tour groups woke me to realize
more buses than i could recall
had entered the piazza one at a time
unloaded and reloaded and left
i looked toward the waters again
no wonder they all come
it's such a pretty fountain
Thursday, February 28, 2008
john and bill
to pay the fine we got yesterday
for not paying the exit toll at the autostrada,
because the machine was broken
the post office was like a fifteenth century
first class lounge with fifty service windows
we paid the one euro fine instead of
waiting for them to increase the fine
and repossess everything we own,
i don't know about jail time
then we walked next door
to the church san silvestro in capite
meri took a picture of the head of john the baptist
about five places around the world
claim to have his head,
the place i doubt is
disneyworld in orlando - come on!
then we walked around the corner
to the cafe greco at the foot of the spanish steps
and saw a photo of buffalo bill cody
taken when he was there in 1903
here it is one hundred five years later
not only is the bar still there
but the furniture is the same
point that out to your wife the next time
she wants to do some redecorating at home
just your average day in the dis-average roma
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
bus drivers in roma
did mommy or daddy chase them with a bus?
some of them can drive ok but don’t stop well
bad, let’s say the truth - they stop like hell
the passengers get jerked all around.
those standing spin like pole dancers
did they really pass a driving test?
who gave it to them, their girlfriend?
what's the bus man's rush all about anyway?
they have to work their shift, don't they?
if it was the number of circuits they had to make
they’d get someone to lie for them about how many
then they'd knock off early
which could be best for all
some drive well, this i must admit, and some
are kind and considerate to their passengers
there are exceptions to every rule
still others curse and drive and drool
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
obelisks
but until i walked in the shadow of one
and saw the intricate inscriptions that i cannot read
did i feel their strength and splender
there are 30 in the world, all from egypt
13 in roma, in egypt only seven, four standing
the ones in london and new york
used to be in roma
san giovanni's in roma
is the tallest in the world, 105 feet,
originally 140 feet
and the oldest - 15 century b.c.
a true obelisk is made from one piece of stone
so they say
washington monument is 555 feet tall
many pieces, but obelisk enough for me
in roma obelisks are impossible to avoid
easy to glance at from afar
worth seeking out
magnificent to examine
Monday, February 25, 2008
artists dinner
at marina's house in the country
eight robust artist types
drank wine and laughed
bread, fruit, cheese, and one oven cooked chicken
we ate and ate, enjoyed talking, and then ate more
then when we were finished
all completely well satisfied
we noticed there was chicken left over
no drugs, no miracle, how could it be?
Sunday, February 24, 2008
anzio
a thousand others had the same idea
had a fine seafood lunch at the lovely port
so did the thousand others
our seafood anti-pasta for two
came on fifteen different large plates
how can there still be fish in the sea?
we sure are eating a lot of it
note that everything at the anzio station is broken
and covered with more graffiti than we've seen anywhere else
the day was sunny and warm
and full of people
it's not yet spring, the tourists haven't even arrived
and they will
Saturday, February 23, 2008
just checking
and were ten feet from the entrance to the car rental place
on a busy street, turn signal on
twenty feet farther a group of police stood
one flagged us to pull ahead, i told meri to just turn
i waved no to the cop, we're turning in here, be sensible
"no , this is police work, drive forward and stop"
meri did what they said.
while the first cop was asking her for documents etc.
i got out of the car and asked another cop, "who's the boss?"
he was the boss
"why stop us, we were turning back there?"
"it's a car check"
"there are plenty of cars for you to check." i pointed
indeed, many others were speeding by
"where are you from?, he asked
not answering his question, i responded, "i'm a citizen of roma"
that stopped him. he didn't expect me to yell at him in italian.
and that citizen of roma stuff always works
"you know this is ridiculous," i said.
"well, this is how things are done in italy," he replied.
i said, "i know."
and that is the whole truth, your honor
Friday, February 22, 2008
the pantheon
destroyed by fire in 80 a.d., built again in 125 a.d.
the oldest standing domed structure in rome
perhaps the best preserved building of its age in the world
erected, destroyed, rebuilt again, it's original purpose unknown
a circular building, a temple dedicated to all the gods
and for the people, who have always come to this place
the interior a perfect circle, the diameter and height are 43 meters
inside, to the center, below the circular vaulted roof opening, called the great eye, the oculus, over 8 meters in diameter
we paused to enjoy and appreciate
meri, looking through that eye to the sky, saw a lone bird fly over
and asked how i was at reading auguri, omens, signs from the heavens
i held her and smiled
a step at a time, i have no insight into what may be
we do the best we can with what we have
slowly it keeps changing, we'll wait and see
outside to the base of a pillar on the sunny side
we sat to watch for a while
with no particular purpose in mind
two small local boys played as children have for ages
on their marble slab home turf of the pantheon
taking in the bright day
amid the quiet well-ordered mirth
still aware for whatever it's worth
that these precious moments are joys
for our brief time on earth
Thursday, February 21, 2008
weather roma
eighteen suns over lazio, the region of roma
oh, look at venezia, how many suns
count 'em up, there's almost twenty
i found a four percent chance of precipitation
on a clear day, repeated every hour
the amount of winds, negligible
but mentioned frequently
a chart of projections for the day
updated in two hour increments
complete - not completely
no mention of temperature
figlio di putanna, isn't the amount of clouds
and eighteen suns over roma enough for you?
unless we tell you otherwise
weather will continue as usual
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
iced over
and on the back
of my neck
a cold wind pushes me
to recollect a day walking, walking
in the snow with my hands in my pockets
with my head low and nose cold
walking in the wind, in the snow
long ago
to or from somewhere
saw some friends
going to the corner store
city-old maples
fat and icy
tap their limbs upon windows
no one can let them in
puddles on the curb
round the corner
on the curve
iced over
run down the street
feet and ice meet
slide on the sheet
iced over
in the wind, in the snow
long ago
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
house
would you move out please
we just bought it
we made an offer on a house
in the country, an hour out of roma
the house needs attention
it’s all there, but not how we’d do it
what do we want? something else.
how do we want it? easy.
will we know it when we see it?
maybe, but don't bet on it.
globalization will do away with choice
one burger, one car, one house
why should we complain?
it’s less expensive to make it all the same
and why should it stop? with stem cell technology
one dog: part cat, part fish, part chicken
when you’re done playing with it
you can eat it
Monday, February 18, 2008
quick say
from thirty feet away
i saw the waiter who has seen me several times
sitting, taking coffee with roberto at mid-day
our eyes met, he paused
recognition appeared
i raised my chin and squinted in question
he thought again and peered
he gave a quick shake no
we exchanged a few slight, rapid tilts of head and shoulders
and nods of confirmation
all was well in order
then both shrugged, turned, went about our way
this was a solid bit of communication
absolute and complete in eight seconds
here's what we had to say
i said, "hey, i know you ."
"i know you also," came his first.
"how are you doing, have you seen roberto?"
"i'm fine," he answered, "but, no, i haven't seen robert. he hasn't been around."
"okay," I said, "let him know i was looking for him if you see him."
"Will do," he answered.
"i'll be back, it was good to see you."
" yeah, you to."
"ciao."
"ciao."
Sunday, February 17, 2008
colossus
near the grande raccordo annulare, the great highway ring around roma
we relented and returned on the swift metro line b
under the pyramid,
under the old chariot race site circus maximus
below the old forum to our stop
we walked and escalatored up several flights
to encounter saturday night at fiori imperiale,
mussolini's contribution in the 1930s, a boulevard
that cuts through the forum to the center of roma
the ruins of nero's home, domus aurea on the rise behind us
before, the colosseum
behold - grandiose, invincible master of ages
modern marker of the bygone empire
tall and black against the chill of february sky
that has withstood two millenia
of wind, rain, scorching heat and cold
paraded in and shouted over
blood and prayers, beasts and gladiator
lie dormant in the sands beneath
now buses pass closely by
i saw a jet liner flying toward fiumicino airport
photos are snapped and promises have been made
under the shadow of the giant
and in the twentieth century they dug
a metro line tunnel under everything
Saturday, February 16, 2008
today - no problem
it should have been easy
but train was canceled
things happen
an hour later caught a train
that went part way
stopped, waited for the next train
found a little place to eat
lunch was good, music loud
six people in the place
music enough for forty-five
did they want us to eat or dance
enjoyed the food, ate well
prices reasonable
ears sill ringing
caught our train to the country
a fine day
came back without incident
on the bus
Meri told me the ugly old
man in the silk stockings
was a woman
almost missed our stop
just another day
no problem
Friday, February 15, 2008
most all asleep
creeping about in my pajamas
when standing by the window
i listen for it
only the clock moves
in absolute defiance
to the silence of the night
an appliance
and electrical wires
hum on for me
forever a subtext
a lone plane passes over
a car door closes
a voice down the street
fractions of the day
still awake
complete
even the cats are asleep
Thursday, February 14, 2008
clerks quirks
when the cashiers at our bread store never do?
also at the grocery store if the amount is three-ninety eight
they keep two cents and start counting back change at four
if my bill comes to nine fifty-six
the cashier will pause
look slowly into the cash drawer
wiggle around in there with her fingers five or ten minutes
talk to another employee for a while
then look up with eyes glazed and dead pan face
and ask if I have fifty-six cents
every time
i notice that if i don't move at the speed of lightening
like an old west gun slinger in the movies
she is already back in the drawer making change
the question to me was just something required by law
means nothing
if this were a movie, the director would yell cut
"ok, jack, step aside. we're bringing in a stunt man to go for the exact change. this guy is really fast, incredible."
by the time i have a few coins out to help
she is handing me change
not counting it out, just putting it on the
special plastic place that was built for change
along with my receipt
the bread store rounds off one or two cents
or loads me up with one and two cent pieces
that i carry home and put in a jar
until it's too heavy to lift
i’ve never seen an italian coin wrapper
i think they use buckets and scales
where are the oxen pulling wagons on the street
and big guys riding shot gun
ever since that guy invented the
drop ceilings that are sold all over the world
everyone is looking for another thing that can make a billion bucks and be used everywhere
that's what those change holders are at checkout counters
i expect to see those grocery clerks in their spare time
on the corner asking for change
just to keep in practice
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
via cappellari
our little apartment building dates from 1500
the arch was erected about 1300
my source is an architectural historian
from john cabot here in roma
on the wall under the arch
is a sign on the wall inscribed in Latin on a marble slab
dated 1733
it says not to discard refuse under the arch
offenders risk monetary fine
and corporeal punishment
the city of Roma now puts
our refuse cans under the arch
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
abramo & zakaria
he's served us several times
back by the wood oven is zakaria the older egyptian cook
i asked his name a year or two ago
complimenting him for the pizza he makes so well
both have biblical names
here in italy it used to be the law
you had to name your child after a saint
my god, now they are putting chips in people
roma is tough, they endure with patience
what desires have they for the twilight called tomorrow
we greet them, chat little, must not slow them down
they work long hours not getting wealthy
i respect these friendly fellows of another world
here colliding asteroids in city space, bump and go
we eat and go, countless tourists hardly see them
they are but a necessary convenience
zakaria said hi to me the other day at the hardware store
i didn't recognize him out place, without his cooking whites
his little hat. his pizzas are the best you know
why are egyptian cooks often the best for italian pizza
abramo is youthful, slight and quick
he will bend in the winds of time, see many changes
possessed with good spirit and force
god bless his energy
we don't look over, around or through these two
they, as we, are seeking acceptance