Category Archives: In my words

In my words, February 18 – 24

… I met my friend Bill Kushner on Friday at 9th Avenue and 23rd Street. It was high noon. I jumped off the bus and there was Bill, hood of his parka up over his head carrying his bag with … Continue reading →

In my words, February 11 – 17

17 Feb ’13

… I’ve opened my living room windows letting in refreshing air and the songs of birds rising out of La Plaza. I can recognize three distinct calls, but have no idea to whom they belong. I don’t see the birds … Continue reading →

In my words, February 4 – 10

10 Feb ’13

My friend Tony came home from work, unlocked his door and saw his cat sitting by the refrigerator, not paying any attention to him as it usually did meeowing its greeting when he came in, but like an Egyptian statue, … Continue reading →

In my words, January 28 – February 3

3 Feb ’13

… I made a New Year’s resolution to start swimming. Here it is February the third and I finally am. The pool at the Chinatown Y is quite decent. It wasn’t crowded this afternoon and I got a lane of … Continue reading →

In my words, January 21 – 27

27 Jan ’13

… Roman augurs … The word inauguration comes from Latin. An augur was a Roman priest who studied the flights of birds to predict the future in their patterns. The prefix in can mean no or not: immeasurable, incomplete, immoral. … Continue reading →

In my words, January 14 – 20

20 Jan ’13

… It’s Monday afternoon around two. My morning class is over. I’m home, but leave at five-thirty to teach again till eight. I’m interviewing students Tuesday and Thursday from two PM to seven. I usually have afternoons off. Monday and … Continue reading →

In my words, January 7 – 13

13 Jan ’13

This morning things return to normal; break is over: time to teach. It’s early now; well not so early, a little after seven. I just woke Akram up with a cup of coffee, black with sugar, which he’s drinking leaning … Continue reading →

In my words, January 1 – 6

6 Jan ’13

Over the holidays, a friend was using a new paring knife while making dinner and cut three of her fingers and a thumb. Merry Christmas. Once, when I was a cook, I almost sliced off the top of my left … Continue reading →

Sweet Mary

18 Nov ’12

….. I lived at home as a young man full of fears that paralyze I was a believer in truth and the truth was a lie then I slept with Sweet Mary and she made me realize there are more … Continue reading →

Some thoughts on the art and the artist

15 Jul ’12

… The art and the artist, can we love one and not the other? It’s a difficult question to answer. Sometimes my heroes might seem to some a little foolish, embarrassing or pathetic, like Li Bai trying to kiss the … Continue reading →

Songs

29 Apr ’12

… I wrote the lyrics for the following songs mostly in my 20s. I was doing poetry performances in Philly in the late 70s and began singing with a band, The Sea of Hands, who accompanied me, before doing songs … Continue reading →

The Story of Jingle Bells

17 Dec ’11

… Jingle Bells was written as a Thanksgiving song by James Lord Pierpont in the autumn of 1850 in a tavern in Medford, Massachusetts, a town popular for its sleigh races. Dashing through the snow In a one-horse open sleigh … Continue reading →