8-word poem

Critics worry
Atom smashing
Could lead to
Armageddon.

Slipshod Sonnet #18

I had a good one ready but it's gone
now what do you care for good anyway
it's all the same ultimately and we're
made of stranger stuff my sweetest
downfall wore sideways stripes and
carried herself like a head matron key
ring jingling in the moonlight those
broke engine blues I knew not of them
me a born pedestrian alas you lost half
your highway when a wheelchair rolled
by the world unforgiving like that class
a trip hold 'em fold 'em run you know
the drill don't ask me I don't know I can
only tell you where you don't want to go.

8-word poem

It was
Cloudy
That day in
Normandy.

Remember?

8-word poem

We grow
If we're
Lucky;
Let's grow
Together.

THE REAL PARTY

Vertigo of too much
time leaning against
my rusty icebreakers
carving up Clean St.
dreams a tomorrow or
better than the bleed
or two I've been known
a most mistrusted name
in viruses It Ain't (pause)
Me Babe but I could
see where you might
have gotten that idea
better it is to change
gears real fast my dear.

8-word poem

Suddenly
It all
Makes
A modicum of
Sense.

R.I.P.

While I wouldn't count George Carlin as one of my idols, I am greatly saddened by his passing. He was definitely a thinking man's comedian - and even the word "comedian" seems inadequate to describe his unique brand of observation and dignified umbrage against the numerous idiocies of life.

Not unlike my inexplicable penchant for mutton-chopped, white jump suit Elvis, it is the latter-day Carlin that really resonated with me. His HBO specials and TV appearances of the last few years found him in excellent form, adding a macabre tinge to his acerbic delivery.

Never one to suffer fools gladly, Carlin once offered a riff on people the world would be better off without, noting they "oughta be beaten with heavy clubs and left bleeding in the moonlight."

That image—left bleeding in the mooonlight—is sheer poetry! And, God help me, hilarious!

Many of the obituaries mention cynicism and bitterness, but he never really struck me that way. George Carlin, to my mind, was always about calling a spade a spade. Sometimes he took an exaggerated route, perhaps, to make his point—but he was nothing if not on point.

8-word poem

Ask not
Yadda yadda.

Seriously,
Please don't
Ask.

8-word poem

My best advice:
Keep quiet
Until further
Notice.

8-word poem

I've got
Enough
Sad and delusional,
Thank you.

* * *

For MsHellion.

EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE IN THE BAND

You hate to see
Such after eating clams
Especially in manner mode
And shopping city dreams
Can you smell the outlets?

iTuneage - recent baker's dozen

1. "Trans-Europe Express" - Kraftwerk
2. "Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" - R.E.M.
3. "Welcome To The Dollhouse" - Welcome To The Dollhouse soundtrack
4. "I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song" - Jim Croce
5. "Bigger Hole To Fill" - The Hives
6. "Rich" - Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
7. "Medicine Show" - The Dream Syndicate
8. "White Wedding" - Billy Idol
9. "Barrytown" - Steely Dan
10. "The Raid" - Graham Parker & The Figgs
11. "Baby I Love You" - Andy Kim
12. "Seasons In The Sun" - Terry Jacks
13. "Sugar Magnolia" - The Grateful Dead

8-word poem

Sometimes the first
Nothing
Is the best
Nothing.

TRADITION TRUST TRIBUTE

Don't sir me
concrete bitter root
summer pass already

Getting way cozy
of the notion
not to return

Did not mean
we hurt her
the royal we

Name it courage
call for me
a listener's pace

Bomb squad holiday
spend scouring beaches
so born sinister

8-word poem

Because
Not every
Blog post
Can be
Wondrous.

8-word poem

The wind:
It blows
Where
It wants
To.

Slipshod Sonnet #17

Train wreck please the passing of
jasmine seems like a lifetime ago
see there was that dog a guitar
and a blood red faux velvet couch
left out in the rain just the way
happiness reminds you it has a
half life society of ill we deliver
is ew reviled backwards hey looks
like I finally have something to
run from hearing green grass grow
once watching paint scream feeling
that dry heave signals success cool
the way to dusty death turn left you
know to me it all looks the same.

8-word poem

Please see
That my
Clean
Is kept
Grave.

8-word poem

Sunset over,
The day done;
Night calls,
Questions.

Montreal 2008: Words and Pictures 4 (photos dedicated to MsHellion)

A huge statue of Montreal Canadiens legend Maurice "The Rocket" Richard, that I somehow stumbled across downtown. I was actually looking for Montreal's Underground City which, it turns out, is pretty much a mall.

The weird part, though, is that I found this statue several floors above ground level. I got into an elevator after my disappointment with subterranean Montreal, and began looking for a big multiplex movie theater I knew to be in the vicinity. Upon alighting from said elevator I walked smack into The Rocket.

It's quite the impressive monument to a man who arguably defines Canadiens hockey: Richard was the first NHL player to score 50 goals, the first to score 50 goals in 50 games, and the first to reach the 500 career goal plateau.

I can't help but wonder about the oddball (read: disrespectful) location. I mean, shouldn't this be in a slightly more hallowed place than a mall? According to Wikipedia, it (or a statue that bears an eerily striking resemblance to it) resides in Jacques Cartier Park in Gatineau, Quebec.

Perhaps the statue is on loan, and maybe the mall is where the old Montreal Forum used to stand, who knows? Such an explanation would make me feel a little better.

I present his image and motto "Ne jamais abandonner" which translates to "Never give up" to MsHellion - friend, roller derby woman and never giver upper.

8-word poem

It all
Works out
In the
End,
Y'know.

The Frist

This is the only visual record of my recent trip to Nashville, Tennessee - snapped on a camera phone outside the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.

There was a terrific show, "From Monet to Dali," along with an exhibition of vintage Tiffany lamps. Corey was nice enough to scope out the Frist's hours, and upon discovering they were open late on Thursdays, she, Jackson, Mary and I made the jaunt.

I don't know about you, but I can't get enough of modern art, and the weirder the better. I was thrilled to see many paintings and sculptures by my favorite luminaries including Rodin, Braque, Picasso, Van Gogh, Mondrian and Magritte in addition to Monet and Dali.

A spectacular evening of fine art was followed by a cultural examination of Nashville's nether regions - a visit to the Waffle House. I ordered a combo composed of a cheese omelet, grits, sausage and toast that probably sheared five years off of my life by dint of the frightening amount butter troweled onto said toast.

That the establishment smacked of backstage at Springer was something of a shock to me; on the other hand, it didn't seem much different from where I grew up in New Jersey.

Corey and I attempted to offset the rough and ready ambiance by engaging in a world-class Scrabble match. Our participation in a game involving word play seemed to perplex the waitress at the counter who frequently let fly with a bit of down home philosophizing to no one in particular.

There is a joke that goes something like: "What has three titties and four teeth?" Answer: "A Waffle House waitress."

I understand.

(Photo by Corey Hasty)

8-word poem

Life:
It can
Charlie Foxtrot
All over you.

8-word poem: THE PRESIDENT MCCAIN STORY

We're so
Fucking dead
I can't stand it.

8-word poem

The lucky dog
Realizes
It has
A master.

R.I.P.

I have been remiss in not mentioning the recent passing of rock 'n' roll great Bo Diddley.

While I wouldn't claim the man as a major guitar inspiration, I do recall a few times when Mr. Diddley (and his rhythmic contribution to modern music) provided me with great satisfaction and/or entertainment.

1) The moment I realized I could actually play the Bo Diddley beat on the guitar without my plectrum ricocheting off the strings.

2) The time I, along with a group of co-workers, was listening to a radio program about Bruce Springsteen. The song "She's the One" came on and I observed "Ah, the Bo Diddley beat!" to everyone's confused and dismissive looks, which were soon erased when the radio host confirmed my statement.

3) Hearing/seeing The Rolling Stones open a 1994 concert with Buddy Holley's "Not Fade Away," introduced by Charlie Watts' rendering of the Bo Diddley beat on the drums.

4) The segment in the film "Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll" wherein the trio of Berry, Diddley and Little Richard discuss how they were gypped out of considerable royalties over the years. Poignant, yet laced with the kind of hilarity only truly great raconteurs possess.

Montreal 2008: Words and Pictures 3 (photo dedicated to MsAPhillips)

This year I finally made it to Montreal's Chinatown.

Funnily enough, it's quite close to where I have stayed the past three years - I just didn't realize it.

I had a great dinner at the Jade Jardin (or Jardin de Jade, or something like that) - an all you can eat buffet at a fixed price. Naturally, after two heaping platefuls I was given the old heave ho.

Which is just as well, I suppose, as I was definitely getting the death glare from not only my waiter and the owner of the joint, but other more well-behaved patrons.

Waiter [handing me the bill, unbidden]: "Okay, $12.98 plus tax [pointing out each figure, and then the total]."

"And you leave tip [hand clasping my shoulder] on the table."

Ye Olde Liste Meme

Because Gina Myers asked:

What were you doing five years ago?
1.) wondering what I'd be doing in five years
2.) finishing my first Master's degree
3.) changing everything
4.) ending my student employment job
5.) deciding to begin my second Master's degree

What are five things (in no particular order) on your to-do list for today?
1.) don't kill self
2.) meet with co-workers re: Javascript rule
3.) send TV Land transition document to Nashville office
4.) don't kill anyone in office
5.) read something interesting

What are five snacks you enjoy?
1.) chocolate chip cookies
2.) pretzels
3.) brie and crackers
4.) coffee
5.) peanuts

What are five things you would do if you were a billionaire?
1.) tell the world to kiss my ass
2.) travel the world (except anywhere Americans are hated, so nowhere)
3.) buy an ice hockey team
4.) pay off my debts
5.) wish I was a billionaire again

What are five of your bad habits?
1.) drinking too much coffee
2.) oversleeping
3.) owning too many books
4.) procrastinating
5.) wishing I was someone other than who I am

What are five places you have lived?
1.) Los Angeles, CA (only 3 months - but, hey, I was alive)
2.) Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY
3.) Staten Island, NY
4.) Riverdale, Bronx, NY
5.) Hastings-on-Hudson, NY

What are five jobs you have had?
1.) dishwasher
2.) legal proofreader
3.) reporter
4.) environmental blogger
5.) content specialist

Which five people do you want to tag?
1.) MsAPhillips
2.) MsHellion
3.) William Glenn
4.) Steakbellie
5.) Jason Cissell

8-word poem

Don't you know
Who I think
I was?