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about me
poet, technologist, cynic, father of five, child of chaos, punker, prankster, patriot, punster, leftist, latino, japanophile, audiophile, beer drinker, quiche eater, dog walker, soft talker, deep thinker, shallow sleeper, introvert, covert operative in a parallel universe.

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* m a y s t a r *
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  •  

    extra special bitter
    hops are bitter. life is bitter. coincidence?

    Saturday, December 31, 2005

    New Year's Eve traffic

    New Year’s Eve traffic —
    the sign says
    “seek alternate route”

     

    Friday, December 30, 2005

    last day of the year

    last day of the year —
    a dog pees
    on what’s left of a snowman

     

    Thursday, December 29, 2005

    13th Floor Elevator

    taking the elevator
    to the thirteenth floor —
    a faint scent of jasmine

     

    Wednesday, December 28, 2005

    thought dropping

    My Employer is one of many organizations that raised an eyebrow or two by designating its year-end celebration as a “Holiday Party” instead of a “Christmas Party”. Speaking for myself, I’m delighted to see the implied inclusion of Hannukah, Kwanza and various Solstice celebrations in the late-December holiday sweepstakes. Others, however, don’t share my enthusiasm.

    I ask them—and like-minded individuals—to chose between the two following greetings:

  • Happy Holidays!
  • Have a Miserable Fucking Christmas!
  •  

    smouldering

    smouldering —
    the lipstick on her cigarette
    drop-dead red

     

    Tuesday, December 27, 2005

    day after Christmas

    day after Christmas —
    a metal basket filled
    with rejected toys

     

    Monday, December 26, 2005

    Christmas rain

    Christmas rain —
    an unopened gift
    under the tree

     

    Sunday, December 25, 2005

    Christmas morning



    Christmas morning —
    how soon can we play
    in the fresh snow?

     

    Saturday, December 24, 2005

    Christmas Eve

    Christmas Eve —
    Santa breaks
    for a cigarette

     

    Friday, December 23, 2005

    snowmelt

    snowmelt —
    a last-minute list
    of gift ideas

     

    Thursday, December 22, 2005

    first day of winter

    first day of winter —
    I explain to my mother
    that “wicked” means “good”

     

    Wednesday, December 21, 2005

    solstice

    solstice —
    my teenaged son
    turns twenty

     

    Tuesday, December 20, 2005

    5 Weird Habits about Myself

    Frankie didn’t tag me explicitly, but how could I resist? Finding 5 weird habits is like shooting five very large fish in a very small barrel.

  • Every morning at 5:52 I wake up to the sound of “Wake Up Boo” by the Boo Radleys blaring on my CD player alarm. I hit the snooze button exactly once, and then get up to begin my day in earnest at 7:00.

  • Once I’m up, I’m so pleasant, cheerful and affectionate that I often want to strangle myself.

  • I have been wearing the same $15 Timex watch since 1986.

  • I try to write at least one haiku each morning on the way into work. I almost never write on the way home.

  • I never leave the house without kissing my wife and telling her that I love her. Pretty twisted, eh?
  •  

    gibbous moon

    gibbous moon —
    the dog’s eyes
    widen

     

    Monday, December 19, 2005

    home for the holidays

    home for the holidays —
    my son’s duffle bag filled
    with dirty laundry

     

    Sunday, December 18, 2005

    freezing rain

    freezing rain —
    I microwave my coffee
    a second time

     

    Friday, December 16, 2005

    full moon

    full moon —
    the little boy thinks
    I’m walking a wolf

     

    Thursday, December 15, 2005

    by popular demand

    the photo. I’m the one in the shades.

     

    extra special bitter goes global!

    our “gig” on Saturday morning just made it into the Boston Globe! The paper edition even features a photo taken by Mrs. Bitter.

     

    december snowmelt

    december snowmelt —
    my daughter moves
    back in with us

     

    Wednesday, December 14, 2005

    single-digit temperatures

    single-digit temperatures —
    a distant car alarm

     

    Tuesday, December 13, 2005

    walking the dog

    walking the dog
    on a cold winter night
    I remember all my sins

     

    winter sunrise

    winter sunrise —
    the shuffle
    of the conductor’s feet

     

    Monday, December 12, 2005

    black ice

    black ice —
    a nightmare
    minutes before the alarm

     

    Sunday, December 11, 2005

    winter moon

    winter moon —
    a hawk’s nest
    in the old oak

     

    Shameless Self-Promotion

    For those of you in the Boston area who wish for a brief respite from Christmas shopping, there’s this instead...

    What do Japanese poetry, Delta Blues, and Jack Kerouac have in common?

    They’ll all be part of the program in the December performances of the
    Metro West Renku Association, a trio of poets featuring Brett Peruzzi of
    Saxonville, Raffael DeGruttola of Natick, and Paul David Mena of Wayland.
    And you’ll have TWO chances to catch this show, one on a weekday evening
    and the other on a Saturday morning.

    The Metro West Renku Association started out in 1999 writing traditional
    Japanese renku, a linked verse form that foreshadowed haiku, and written
    by groups of poets in Japan for hundreds of years. Over the years the group
    has adapted renku to American sensibilities by creating a companion form
    that came to be called “bluenotes”, based on the 12-bar blues tempo and
    taking its subject matter from various aspects of the blues. In time,
    other ancient Japanese rules about subject matter were also set aside,
    resulting in a series based on the life and writings of Jack Kerouac.

    These performances will not be your High School English teachers’ idea
    of a poetry reading. In addition to reading our poems, there will be a
    simultaneous slide show of original photography by Mary Melodee Mena.
    The blues-related poems will be accompanied by blues recordings in the
    background, and will feature the live blues harmonica of Brett Peruzzi
    in between verses.

    Both are preceded by an open mike, so you can get on stage to read
    something yourself if you’re so inclined, or you can just listen to
    other talented writers.

    Here are the particulars on where we’ll be and when:

    ****Saturday, December 17, 10:30 a.m.****

    Cafe' Espresso
    108 Mechanic St.
    Route 140
    Bellingham, MA

    Poetry in a coffee house! Great cappucino; finger snapping and berets are
    optional.

    Check out the web site for directions and other information:

    http://www.cafe-espresso.org/special-events.htm



    ****Wednesday, December 21, 7:30 p.m.****

    Amazing Things Arts Center
    55 Nicholas Road
    Framingham, MA

    Check out the web site for directions and other information:

    http://www.amazingthings.org/

     

    Saturday, December 10, 2005

    ice dam

    ice dam —
    a Christmas card from someone
    I don’t know

     

    after the storm

    after the storm —
    the warmth
    of a half-empty beer bottle

     

    Friday, December 09, 2005

    waiting room

    waiting room —
    the crossword puzzle
    all filled in

     

    Thursday, December 08, 2005

    cold snap

    cold snap —
    steam rises
    from a manhole cover

     

    Wednesday, December 07, 2005

    Christmas shopping

    Christmas shopping —
    a giant snowflake
    above the sausage vendor

     

    Tuesday, December 06, 2005

    holiday spirit(s)

    who says I lack
    the holiday spirit?
    I open a Christmas ale

     

    Monday, December 05, 2005

    snow in the forecast

    snow in the forecast —
    a racoon crosses
    a busy highway

     

    Sunday, December 04, 2005

    deepening snow

    deepening snow —
    my mother struggles to remember
    the names of my children

     

    Saturday, December 03, 2005

    winter dog walk

    winter dog walk —
    wondering what she sees
    behind the shadows

     

    Friday, December 02, 2005

    conversations with X

    “Who are you?”
    “I am x in an indeterminate equation.”
    “I’m familiar with that reference from Dostoevsky. Are you saying that you’re the Devil then?”
    “I don’t believe in the Devil.”
    “You don’t? Who do you think motivates you to do the things you do?”
    “Who says I need motivation?”
    “Someone or something must inspire you.”
    “Nothing inspires me.”
    “Really. Somehow you consider yourself original and unique.”
    “I am not God’s special snowflake.”
    “No, but you are exasperating. Can’t you see that I’m trying to help you?”
    “By asking stupid questions?”
    “Were you acting alone, or did someone put you up to this?”
    “We are all acting alone.”
    “Existentialist double-talk!”
    “The Equation sanctions double-talk in that all conclusions are valid.”
    “The Equation is just a literary device, a figure of speech.”
    “As you wish.”

     

    away on business

    away on business —
    I sleep
    on her side of the bed

    away on business —
    my daughter’s toy hair dryer
    in my garment bag

     

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