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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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  •  

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

    Tuesday, October 31, 2006

    Halloween

    Halloween —
    Superman
    hails a cab

     

    Monday, October 30, 2006

    passing the pumpkin patch


    passing the pumpkin patch
    my daughter rubs
    her pregnant belly

    photo by mmm


     

    why am I here?

    this isn’t a philosophical question. why am I at work two and a half hours earlier than usual?

     

    Sunday, October 29, 2006

    basking



    basking in the blue light
    a loyal fan taps her foot


    photo by mmm


     

    Friday, October 27, 2006

    between skyscrapers

    between             skyscrapers
                    sunset

     

    Wednesday, October 25, 2006

    twilight

    twilight —
    I direct a stranger
    to the wrong train

     

    Tuesday, October 24, 2006

    cleaning out the attic

    cleaning out the attic
    an old photograph
    of a younger me

     

    Monday, October 23, 2006

    Monday morning

    Monday morning —
    looking for a break
    in the overcast

     

    Saturday, October 21, 2006

    October

    October —
    removing the bird’s nest
    from the air conditioner

     

    Friday, October 20, 2006

    writer's block - the ultimate inspiration

    my “writer’s block” haiku was actually part of an article I wrote for the e-journal GotPoetry.com. I am reprinting the article in its entirety with my own permission.

    Have you ever set aside a precious block of leisure time for writing, only to find that the Word Well has run dry? Speaking for myself, this phenomenon is at least as common as its opposite: experiencing a “haiku moment” without a means of capturing it in words. The latter often happens when I’m on the train: I see something that jars my imagination but circumstances make it impossible to write. The former usually occurs when I suddenly find myself with a few unclaimed minutes. I tell myself to write, but I draw a blank. I’m sure I’ve experienced something worth sharing, but nothing comes to mind.

    In the past I’ve unplugged this creative logjam by writing about it. As a matter of a fact, my first published haiku was inspired by... a lack of inspiration:

    staring
    at a blank sheet of paper —
    a night without words

    What worked for me 12 or 13 years ago still works today. I try to write during my commute to and from Boston, but sometimes I’m totally empty. So the other day I started with “writer’s block“ as a first line and then gave myself the exercise to jot down the first interesting thing I saw:

    writer’s block —
    a man fishing bottles
    from the trash

    Looking through my archives reveals that I do this fairly often.

    writer’s block —
    the dog sniffs
    every tree

    writer’s block —
    a kite
    caught in a tree

    writer’s block —
    feeling every swing
    of the axe

    writer’s block —
    rearranging
    the poetry magnets

    ...and before I know it, I’m writing!

     

    Thursday, October 19, 2006

    writer's block

    writer’s block —
    a man fishing bottles
    from the trash

     

    Tuesday, October 17, 2006

    rush hour (and variation)

    rush hour —
    the billboard model
    smiles at me

    rush hour —
    only the billboard model
    smiles at me

     

    Sunday, October 15, 2006

    can you?

    can you spend the night?
    a log in the fireplace
    pops

     

    Thursday, October 12, 2006

    El Día de la Raza

    In many Latin American countries October 12th is known as El Día de la Raza, roughly translated as “The Day of The Race”. It is intended to “celebrate” the first encounters between Europeans and Native Americans. I think we all know how that worked out.

    Many of you know that Mrs. Bitter and I spent a few days in Santa Fe last month. What many of you may not know is that our relationship is actually a much more successful encounter between two people of European and Native American ancestry. One result of this unique juxtaposition is that I have become very sensitive to the plight of Indigenous people in this and other countries. Not that I can ever undo over five centuries of Conquistador Kharma, but I can cast off my own ignorance and work toward some semblance of understanding.

    A case in point: why on Earth would anyone want to commemorate the annihilation of a population, or the marginalization of a culture? Why not honor The Race that was here for centuries before Columbus darkened its shores? Click here to sign a petition to create a National Holiday for Native Americans.

    Carpe Diem.

     

    October rain

    October rain —
    the bag lady’s
    clear plastic poncho

     

    Wednesday, October 11, 2006

    October wind

    October wind —
    chasing
    the last train

     

    Tuesday, October 10, 2006

    crowded train

    crowded train —
    a dozen roses
    in my face

     

    Monday, October 09, 2006

    Columbus Day

    Columbus Day —
    a styrofoam cup
    floating in a puddle

     

    Sunday, October 08, 2006

    Canyon Road


     


     


    Canyon Road —
    an antique chair
    among weeds

     


     


     


     


     


    photo by mmm — Santa Fe

     

    Saturday, October 07, 2006

    dive bar


    photo by mmm

     

    Thursday, October 05, 2006

    for Francine Porad

    windless night —
    so many leaves
    at the foot of the tree

     

    Wednesday, October 04, 2006

    late for the train

    late for the train
    the streetlights
    fade

     

    Tuesday, October 03, 2006

    the artist's backyard

    the artist’s backyard —
    dried paint
    on a broken saw horse

    Santa Fe, NM

     

    Monday, October 02, 2006

    first day on the job

    first day on the job —
    a blackbird
    with a chesnut in its beak

    first day on the job —
    a mouse scrambles
    between shadows

    first day on the job —
    a sunflower sprouts
    from a rusty caboose

     

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