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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?

    Monday, March 21, 2011

    spring snow

    spring snow —
    waving to my youngest grandchild
    on Skype

    spring snow —
    clearing off the windshield
    with my baseball glove

    spring snow —
    the cactus
    is unmoved

    spring snow —
    all the projects
    I’ve never finished

    spring snow —
    I stare at my footprints
    and sigh

    spring snow —
    the dog doesn’t
    understand

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    Sunday, March 06, 2011

    haiku from Bequia

    I wrote these haiku in Bequia, an island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Most are arguably senryu as opposed to haiku, but who’s quibbling? I’ll also readily admit that many of these fall under the category “You Had to Be There”, in which case I heartily recommend a visit.

    tropical night —
    the low rider’s
    throbbing bass

    as if I had to ask
    the peppers in this hot sauce
    are “Rasta peppers”

    ex-pat cover band —
    do they know that Guantanamera
    is a protest song?

    about hot sauce
    the taxi driver says
    “nothing tastes right without it”

    Lower Bay —
    a man named Messenger
    brings me a beer

    seaside dining —
    the blackbird
    snatches a fly

    wake-up call —
    the taxi toots its horn
    at the top of the hill

    beachside bar —
    drinking
    it all in

    tropical sunset —
    my thoughts
    an infinite horizon

    Lower Bay lights —
    a giant cruise ship
    exits the harbor

    tropical night —
    somewhere in the distance
    a howling dog

    where are we?
    Elvis plays “As Time Goes By”
    on the steel drum

    twilight —
    a lizard perched
    on an aloe leaf

    tropical rain —
    the mourning doves
    silent

    after the rain
    a mist
    of mosquitoes

    our last full day —
    what I wouldn’t trade
    for this trade wind

    taxiing to the runway
    the pilot skillfully avoids
    the baby goats

    first night back
    I pretend the dog’s snoring
    is the ocean

     

    Tuesday, March 01, 2011

    just taking it all in

    After finding myself on a bit of a roll with my haiku writing over the past few months, I’m about as surprised as anyone that my well runneth dry while vacationing here in Bequia. Heck, I was even able to write about the departure lounge at Logan Airport on the day we left, but once we arrived in a place where I finally had plenty of time on my hands, nada. It’s not like Bequia is lacking in inspiration — quite the contrary — I’m just having a difficult time acclimating to the vocabulary necessary to describe yachts instead of snowdrifts. Rather than viewing my current dilemma as writer’s block, I’d like to think I’m just taking it all in. There will be weeks and months to reflect upon the seven days we spend here, after which I am fully confident that the words will come.

    as if I had to ask —
    the peppers in this hot sauce
    are rasta peppers

     

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