Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Best and Worst Reads of 2008
The Five Best Books I Read in 2008
1. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
2. Redemption Falls by Joseph O'Connor
3. No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
4. The Prestige by Christopher Priest
5. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Five Worst Books I Read in 2008
1. The Shining by Stephen King
2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
3. Sons and Other Flammable Objects by Porochista Khakpour
4. Ballistics by Billy Collins
5. Red Water by Judith Freeman
Monday, December 22, 2008
A Low-Tech Christmas Message
“A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For the journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.”
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.
Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins,
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory
All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death,
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Facebook: A Low-Tech Complaint
When I was a kid, wasting time meant locking myself in my bedroom and drawing comic books based on the superheroes I had created earlier in the day on the margins of my science notebook. Of course, these drawings weren't much to brag about--today, they would make no one but Napoleon Dynamite jealous. And the superheroes weren't much more than lame X-Men knock-offs with cool names like Infrared and Xyster. Still, at the end of the day, the time I wasted on these comics bore some tangible fruits--even if the fruits, so to speak, were stacks and stacks of half-drawn comic books.
Much has changed since then. I no longer draw as much as I used to, and I have largely become disillusioned with the comics industry (aside from comic book movies, of course). So, I have found another way to waste my time. Unfortunately, this way bears less tangible fruit than a pack of Bubble Yum.
I am referring to that "social networking" website known as Facebook.
Don't get me wrong: I like Facebook. It has reconnected me with a lot of friends and classmates that I had already consigned to the pages of my past. Still, along with this promise of reconnection comes a lot of extra "stuff" that does little more than tempt me to waste time.
An example: The other day I spent twenty minutes of my life becoming a "fan" of various writers and pop culture icons. Why? WHO THE CRAP KNOWS!!!
Another example: Yesterday, I spent five minutes taking a quiz in order to find out which female character in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight I am most like. Again, why would I do this? Why should I care? I mean, I'm neither a fan of Twilight nor a female, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!
Five more minutes of my life wasted. Thanks for nothing, Facebook.
Facebook is more than a "social networking" website: it is cyber-quicksand. If you are not careful you may wander in there and be swallowed whole...or, at least, lose the better part of an afternoon.
Ironically, the time I've taken to write this post about wasting time on Facebook is largely wasted time as well. I mean, whining about Facebook isn't going to change the world or make me a better person. Blogger, I guess, is just another patch of cyber-quicksand.
Thanks for nothing, Blogger. I should have stuck with comic books.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Ballistics Misfiring: A Review
At that time, 2001, Collins was the U.S. Poet Laureate. He was also undergoing a change of publishers—from the smaller University of Pittsburg Press to the much (much) larger Random House. His first book under the new publisher was Sailing Around the Room, which was something of a greatest hits collection and showcased very little of anything new. His next two books, however, were all original poems—yet for me to use the word “original” would be a kindly gesture. Neither Nine Horses nor The Trouble With Poetry and Other Poems showcased half the originality of Picnic, Lightning or The Apple that Astonished Paris, another of Collins’ earlier books. I found the poems in these newer collections to be annoyingly self-conscious and dull. Collins, it seemed, had lost his clever muse during his move to Random House.
Recently, I finished reading his newest collection of poems, Ballistics. Admittedly, I began reading this book fully expecting it to be a complete waste of time. Fortunately, Ballistics lived up to my expectations. Collins’ most recent poems are a mess of self-absorbed musings, unoriginal observations, pointless allusions to Chinese poets (real and imaginary), and—of course—the same bland Collins imagery. In short, it sucked. Ballistics brings absolutely nothing new to the table to poetry. The title poem, in fact, like the title poem in The Trouble with Poetry, is nothing more than yet another Collins poem about how much he hates contemporary poets and poetry. Excuse me while I yawn.
To be fair, Ballistics contains a few good poems. Unfortunately, while these poems are “good,” they are not very memorable. In fact, I’m having a hard time remembering—even with the aid of the table of contents—which of them I liked. There is one poem, however, that is so idiotic that it caused me to close the book and smack it against my forehead three or four times. Here is an excerpt from the poem, entitled “Despair”:
Today, with the sun blazing in the trees,
my thoughts turn to the great
tenth-century celebrator of experience,
Wa-Hoo, whose delight in the smallest things
could hardly be restrained,
and to his joyous counterpart in the western provinces, Ye-Hah.
See what I mean? Idiotic. I think Billy has finally sold his artistic soul to success.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Two Poems About Death
Monday, November 17, 2008
Springsteen Cranks Out Another: "Working on a Dream"
Bruce Springsteen's new album "Working on a Dream" has been set for a January 27 release on Columbia Records. "Working on a Dream" was recorded with the E Street Band and features twelve new Springsteen compositions plus two bonus tracks. It is the fourth collaboration between Springsteen and Brendan O'Brien, who produced and mixed the album."Working on a Dream"
Song Titles:
1. Outlaw Pete
2. My Lucky Day
3. Working on a Dream
4. Queen of the Supermarket
5. What Love Can Do
6. This Life
7. Good Eye
8. Tomorrow Never Knows
9. Life Itself
10. Kingdom of Days
11. Surprise, Surprise
12. The Last Carnival
Bonus tracks:
The Wrestler
A Night with the Jersey Devil
Bruce Springsteen said, "Towards the end of recording 'Magic,' excited by the return to pop production sounds, I continued writing. When my friend producer Brendan O'Brien heard the new songs, he said, 'Let's keep going.' Over the course of the next year, that's just what we did, recording with the E Street Band during the breaks on last year's tour. I hope 'Working on a Dream' has caught the energy of the band fresh off the road from some of the most exciting shows we've ever done. All the songs were written quickly, we usually used one of our first few takes, and we all had a blast making this one from beginning to end."
"Working on a Dream" is Bruce Springsteen's twenty-fourth album and was recorded and mixed at Southern Tracks in Atlanta, GA with additional recording in New York City, Los Angeles, and New Jersey.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Best Line Ever
Friday, October 31, 2008
Are Men Allowed to get Tagged?
Which brings me to my next question: Are men even allowed to be tagged? Personally, I am already feeling that if I even humor my sister-in-law's request to share my "unspectacular" quirks," the very threads that bind the universe together will be compromised. I can't have the end of the universe on my conscience. After all, one of my biggest quirks is that I have an
IRRATIONALLY GUILTY CONSCIENCE.
For example, I sometimes feel that I have to eat every last particle of food on my plate. I don't feel this way, however, because I sympathize for those in Africa who go without food. Rather, I eat every last particle because I do not want to be the one responsible for preventing them (i,e, the food particles) from fulfilling the full measure of their creation. I mean, how would you feel if you were a grain of rice who waited all of your tiny rice life to be eaten, only to be tossed down the food disposal like some piece of stagnant leftover?
Well, now that I'm in the process of unlacing the universe, I might as well reveal my other quirks. Of course, my wife tells me that everything I do is a quirk. What might make a better post is a listing of everything I do that is normal.
Anyway, here is the rest of my list:
I CANNOT FINISH A JUG OF MILK.
Something about the last half cup of milk at the bottom of the milk jug disgusts me. I'd rather go without milk than drink the nasty stuff. Fortunately, Sarah is kind enough to drink it for me.
I READ SIGNS OUT LOUD WHILE I DRIVE
Whenever I am driving down the road, I catch myself reading aloud words and phrases from road signs and billboards--any kind of signage that lines the road. I started doing this on my mission as a way to practice reading Portuguese. Now I do it out of habit.
WHENEVER I CLIMB STEPS, I MENTALLY RECITE MY VOWELS
When I was a kid, I thought that I could climb steps faster if I recited my vowels at the same time. It turns out, however, that there is no connection between vowel recitation and step-climbing speed. Nevertheless, I still mentally recite my vowels whenever I climb steps.
I REMOVE THE DUST JACKET OF A BOOK BEFORE I READ IT
I don't think this is a quirk, but my wife says it is. I believe, however, that removing the dust jacket of a hard-bound book before reading it is not only common sense, it is normal.
I WALK AROUND WHEN I BRUSH MY TEETH
I can't brush my teeth and stand still, so I tend to stroll around the apartment while I brush. Apparently, I also pace around in circles for five minutes after I come home from work. I'm not sure how that is connected, though.
Well, it seems as if I have satisfied the demands of the tagging. I'm also supposed to tag more people, but since I was the last kid picked, I guess I don't have to. Shucks.
Also, I know I'm supposed to post the rules, but I figure you probably know them already.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
An Epidemic of Excuses and No Dogs in Sight
Also, it was recently pointed out to me that dogs are no longer eating homework. Students today have a brand new dog: the flash drive! If they show up to class without their homework now, they simply state that the flash drive containing their work went through the wash, got smashed in their backpack, or (somehow) got pregnant.
What cracks me up most, though, about excuses is the presentation. Some students offer up an excuse and immediately you know its the only one in their repertoire--it comes out that easy, like an animal instinct. Other students take five to ten minutes to make their excuse. Usually, their excuses are prefaced with "I know this sounds like an excuse, but..." and concluded with a unsolicited recitation of their long (long) history of scholastic responsibility.
Of course, the worst kind of excuses are those that try to appeal to a teacher's sense of pity. These excuses are the classic sob stories, and they usually are made by the worst of student actors. It is no exaggeration to state that students who attempt the appeal to pity make soap opera actors and actresses look like true artists.
Anyway, the week isn't over and I expect a handful of excuses to come my way in the next twenty-four hours. If I hear a really good one, I'll pass it along.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
One More for The Road: A Review
Saturday, October 11, 2008
The Thinking Man's Western: A Short Review
The Melodramatic Match: A Review and General Commentary on the Inspirational Sports Movie Genre
- A highly predictable formula (i.e.--An underdog team, composed of misfits with strong personalities, defies all odds and beats a seemingly unbeatable foe).
- An inspirational speech every five minutes or so (accompanied, of course, by inspirationally crappy inspirational "speech music").
- Heart-warming messages about teamwork, brotherhood, determination, and courage.
- Stock sports movie characters: the team jerk, the insecure leader (who ultimately finds his inner strength), the team goofball, etc.
- An injury or some other physical ailment that occurs to a key player one hour into the movie, which temporarily threatens the team's chance of victory.
- Former child stars.
- An excess of slow-motion photography.
- The Karate Kid
- The Karate Kid, Part II
- Rocky
- The Natural
- The Pride of the Yankees
- Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius
- Chariots of Fire
- The Cinderella Man (My favorite sports movie)
- The Greatest Game Ever Played
- Million Dollar Baby
- Gentleman Jim
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Canon Fodder
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Joys of Teaching English
Monday, September 22, 2008
Civil War Reenactors: Living the Low-Tech Life
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
No Country For Old Men: A Recommendation
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Update On What I Saw Out My Window
Here's an update on what happened near us yesterday. After dinner, I got up to do the dishes only to see this apartment buiding surrounded by emergency vehicles. Oddly enough, we didn't hear any of them arrive. We learned what happened from a neighbor.
Police: Man shot at Fairfield apartment
Officers investigating second apartment shooting in as many nights.
Staff Writer
Saturday, September 13, 2008
FAIRFIELD — A man shot at a Fairfield apartment complex was not conscious when he was flown by medical helicopter to the hospital Friday night, police said.
Police and emergency crews responded at around 5:55 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, following a report of a shooting inside a unit at the apartment complex, said Fairfield police Sgt. Don Garrett.
Officers arrived at the scene and found a black male suffering from a gunshot wound, Garrett said. He was flown by Air Care medical helicopter to University Hospital in Cincinnati.
Police initially reported the male shot was a juvenile, but later Friday said the victim was an adult, but would not release his name, age and extent of his injuries. However, Garrett said he was unconcious when he was being treated at the scene.
The apartment building in which the shooting apparently took place was cordoned off by police caution tape late Friday night. A neighbor said she saw one man exit the building in a hurry and leave the scene with three other men in a green van before officers arrived.
Garrett said the shooting remains under investigation and did not release any other details.
Fairfield police also are investigating a shooting incident that occurred the previous night at the Heritage Glen apartment complex, located on Brookfield Drive about two miles north of Friday night's shooting.
At around 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, police responded to an assault where shots were fired at Heritage Glen. One man was treated for unknown injuries at Mercy Hospital, but police said he had not been shot. No suspects were arrested in the incident, police said.
According to Sgt. Jeff Sprague, the two incidents appear unrelated.
Friday, September 12, 2008
What I Saw Out My Window Today
Fairfield police investigating teen's shooting
Staff Writer
Friday, September 12, 2008
FAIRFIELD — A teenager was shot at a Fairfield apartment complex and was not conscious when flown by medical helicopter to the hospital Friday night, police said.
Police and emergency crews responded at around 6:20 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, following a report of a shooting at the apartment complex, said Fairfield police Sgt. Don Garrett.
Officers arrived at the scene and found a black male juvenile suffering from a gunshot wound, Garrett said. The juvenile was flown by Air Care medical helicopter to University Hospital in Cincinnati. The boy's name was not released and his condition was unknown, but Garrett said the boy was unconscious when being treated at the scene.
Fairfield detectives were at the scene investigating the incident.
For more on this issue, keep your browser here.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2122 or rwilson@coxohio.com.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
9/11 Revisited: Generations of Forgetting
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Proto-Lohan and the Killer Ostriches: A Review
Of course, audiences do not go to a movie like 10,000 BC for its compelling plot and quality acting. They go for its action, adventure, special effects, and leather-clad cast of models-turned-actors. In this respect, 10,000 BC delivers up to a point. I would have liked to have seen more saber-tooth tigers in action, for example. I also kept hoping--just for laughs, of course--that the Lindsey Lohan look-alike would check herself into prehistoric rehab.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Ish-ish and the American Teenager
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Cut Down By the Confederacy
Friday, August 8, 2008
Free as Running Water...
In celebration of this great film, I'd like to reprint the lyrics of the film's theme song. In my opinion, it is one of the great forgotten classics.
It's a new day
We all can agree
That the sun shine's
Brought to you absolutely free
Free as running water
Fresh as morning dew
No matter who's the leader
When the sun sets down
It's gone Charlie Brown
So race for your life
Take a chance cause there's no second dance
Till it's a new day
I'll tell you a secret
You're about to face a test
And you'll have to do your best
Don't forget, just remember
Just remember, don't forget
Your life is free as running water
Fresh as morning dew
No matter who's the winner
If you try, we're behind you
Charlie Brown
Race for your life, Charlie Brown
Race for your life, Charlie Brown
Race for your life, Charlie Brown
Race for your life, Charlie Brown
By the way, if you haven't seen this movie, you can check it out in its entirety on YouTube. The first part is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JmqaMEbpSQ
Sunday, August 3, 2008
WALL-E and the Politics of the Heavy Hand
Friday, July 25, 2008
Five Songs That Have Gotten Me in Trouble
5. "I'm on Fire" (Bruce Springsteen)--It was my turn with the radio on a youth temple trip to Chicago, so I naturally popped a Bruce Springsteen mix tape into the cassette deck of my then-bishop's van. When the Boss started singing about his "little girl" and whether or not her "daddy" were home, the Bishop rightfully ejected the tape, despite my protests. One of the young women present, surprisingly, sprang to my defense and suggested that maybe the Boss really was talking about the father of the "little girl." The bishop didn't buy it, and the mix tape went back into my backpack. To this day, I've never felt entirely comfortable with that song...despite its catchiness and ridiculously funny music video.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
10 Words I Hate (But Occasionally Use)
10. Luscious: A lousy word, especially when someone uses it to describe poetry.
9. Glance: On its own, "glance" is OK. Pair it with "quickly," though, and it becomes idiotic.
8. Delicious: When used to describe food, this word is permissible. However, "delicious" becomes an abomination as soon as anyone uses it to describe a non-consumable. Music, for example, is not delicious. Pizza, in some circumstances, can be.
7. Warmly: I think this is a dumb adverb.
6. Moisture: I've spoken my piece on this word already. I still think it is a curse upon the ears.
5. Melon: I hate both the sound of the word and the taste of the fruit. Who wants to eat something with a name that mimics the sound of someone throwing up?
4. Truly: Truly one of the most overused adverbs.
3. Amazing, Awesome, or Totally: Utah and the mish turned me off to these words. Also, for the record, "awesome" translated into the Portuguese "Otimo" doesn't make it any better.
2. Utilize: This word is for people who want to keep up with the intellectual Joneses. I prefer the unassuming everyman's "use."
1. Wealth or Wealthy: I don't like the way this word makes my mouth feel when I use it.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Mr. Wilberforce Goes to London: A Recommendation
As usually happens with me and my artistic pessimism, Amazing Grace proved me wrong. Not only is this film thought-provoking and inspiring (a word I use about as often as "amazing" or "breathtaking"), but it is quite entertaining. I highly recommend it. Unlike so many "spiritual" or "religious" films, it never slips into a maudlin piety or become overly hagiographic. In many ways, in fact, the films depiction of William Wilberforce's long struggle to abolish the British slave trade reminds of the David and Goliath-like storylines of Frank Capra's great Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.
Amazing Grace, of course, is not without its problems. For example, some critics have suggested that the film could have given the efforts of blacks in the British abolition movement a more prominent place. While I am sympathetic to such criticism, I am reluctant to wholeheartedly accept it. The film, after all, is a biopic about Wilberforce, and not the whole of the British abolition movement. What is more, it does attempt to show the efforts of some blacks in the movement, specifically Olaudah Equiano. One of the most powerful moments in the film, in fact, occurs when Equiano, a former slave, takes Wilberforce on a tour of a slaveship.
Despite its problems, though, Amazing Grace is well worth the 118 minutes it takes to watch it. Give it a try.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Twilight of the Guffaws: A Review
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Election Anxieties Over
ENDORSEMENT: 2008
Dear Friends and Fans:
Like most of you, I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.
He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where "...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone."
At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision, so well described in his excellent book, Dreams From My Father, often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our Constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment.
After the terrible damage done over the past eight years, a great American reclamation project needs to be undertaken. I believe that Senator Obama is the best candidate to lead that project and to lead us into the 21st Century with a renewed sense of moral purpose and of ourselves as Americans.
Over here on E Street, we're proud to support Obama for President.
Bruce Springsteen
Monday, July 7, 2008
My Literary Offenses: Two Poems
Poem #1
The Ballad of the Biker Knight,
or
The Incident at “The Hideaway” Bar
A Tribute to John Keats*
Astride his suicide machine,
The Biker Knight appeared.
He parked the bike beside the bar,
Dust billowed from his beard.
His cracked black leather jacket creaked
As he got off his bike.
An old man sat three yards from him,
Who asked, “You got a light?”
The knight, who wore his visor down,
Replied, “No, I don’t smoke.”
The old man grinned a mossy grin
And while he grinned he spoke:
“Sir Knight,” said he, “I do not ask
Thee for a light for me.
But rather, sir, I ask if thou
Dost have a light for thee.”
The Biker Knight ignored the man,
Confused by what he’d said.
“Your words, old man, ain’t making sense
Inside this Biker’s head.”
Despite the chill of this rebuke,
The old man still kept on.
He grabbed the Biker by the boot
And yelled, “Good Knight, HOLD ON!”
In rage the Biker grabbed the man
and pulled him to his feet.
He shook the old fart violently
Then knocked him to his seat.
The Biker watched the old man writhe
In pain and agony.
He turned to venture in the bar,
But stopped to hear this plea:
“Strong Knight,” the old man whispered faint,
“This warning I give thee:
“Beware the maid with wild eyes--
That Dame is sans merci!”
The Biker smirked, “What do you know
Of women—at your age!”
With that he kicked the man away
And entered in “The Hideaway”
To spend his Biker’s wage.
Inside the bar he heard the sound
Of Country music’s twang.
No one was there except himself.
The Biker snorted, “Dang!”
But just before he turned to leave
He saw a fairy’s child--
At least that’s how she seemed to him—
Her eyes were dark and Wild.
“Are you the tender of this bar?”
He asked, his visor raised.
She nodded “yes” and kissed his lips;
The Biker liked her ways.
“I’d like a shot of whiskey, doll,”
He said with knightly charm
The Fairy’s Child poured the shot—
The Biker saw no harm.
The drink complete, they left the bar
To breathed the outside air.
He placed his helmet on her head—
A garland for her hair.
“Let’s take a ride,” the Biker said.
“This ride’s one of a kind.”
Agreed, she sat in front of him;
He held her from behind.
The Fairy’s Child steered the bike—
Her lover had no clue:
His eyes were fixed on her alone.
He cried, “I love thee true.”
Those words he cried a thousand times
Until he could not peep.
His Biker’s brain turned into mush;
He fell into a sleep.
And as he slept he had a dream,
He saw a wrinkled face!
It was the old man he had met
Who’d warned about that place.
The old man’s eyes were empty holes;
His skin as pale as death!
He cried, “Dull Knight, thou foolish sap,
That dame hath poison breath!”
And then the ancient eyeless man
Displayed a savage sight:
“Behold the ruined men and boys
She used as nothing more than toys
To feed her appetite!”
The Biker Knight looked up and saw
Upon a frozen hill
Frail Biker Kings and Asphalt Dukes—
The victims of her will.
The ghostly roadside royalty
Reached out to touch the Knight.
A Biker King screamed out the words,
“Hey mister, got a light?”
‘Twas then the Biker Knight recalled
The words the old man spoke
Outside that bar called “Hideaway”—
He thought they’d been a joke.
The Biker Knight wept tears of grief,
And as he wept he heard
The old man’s voice condemning him
With fire in each word:
“Without the light that wisdom brings
You had no chance at all!”
I warned thee Knight about that Dame
Now she has thee in thrall!”
And then the Biker Knight awoke
Upon a cold hill’s height.
He was alone—his bike was gone—
The dame had taken flight.
He roams the world on two feet now
Across the Asphalt Sea.
In vain he seeks for solace from
That Dame who’s sans merci.
*And perhaps Brandon, too, now that he has purchased a suicide machine of his own.
Poem #2
Delilah
We have never met, but once I spent
the better part of an evening with the phone
pressed against my ear, my finger dialing
your number over and over again.
I had no good reason to call, no story
to tell, no particular request. My heart
had not been broken, was not bleeding.
I was just eighteen
and it was dark outside my window.
The red numbers on my radio never burned
so dimly, your voice never seemed
so far away.