Cathedral Keeping monks hours, I arise at midnight to a false dawn where the sun pauses at the horizon and creeps sideways like a crab. Our crew chief materializes at the door salmon roe dripping from his palms. Midair, he draws the sign of the dollar. Then, I am Lazarus summoned and …
What About Bob?
Who was it said Poems are never finished, they're just abandoned? I begin writing a poem after I assume some understanding about or appreciation over what I've just seen, experienced or remembered. Sometimes the poem comes out in one chunk and I let it rest for a while, then go back and tidy it up: Remove, add, clarify. Sometimes …
A Message From Mumbai
Last Christmas I visited Mumbai, India. After the walk I mentioned, I came back to my room and typed a slightly different version of this letter on my cell phone to my best friend back in the states. A few weeks ago, I planned to read part of this on stage at my last reading, but its too long and …
Into The Difficult or A Man’s Silence
Mid Morning, every workday for more than a month, I've ventured a few blocks over to St Mary's Cathedral to pray. Initially, I began going there in the name of my friend, poet Joanna Spencer. I began going because her son told me she was desperately ill-- having a broken hip and staying in a nursing home …
Getting Your Point Across
How does one write something where all the characters understand the point being communicated, but no one speaks? This must've been my introduction to zen. Don't let me re-write the poem as introduction, but maybe I could clarify something. I spent two months on a fishing processor in Alaska around the mid 90's. Its a shit job. There's …
The Secret: I Can’t Write Right Handed
Full of optimism and hope, I submitted some poems to a literary magazine. Long before deadline! Hot damn, I accomplished something! Hot damn, these are good poems!! Then I get an email from the editor from the mag saying: I just wanted to send you a quick note because, after logging in all of …
Alaska Stories — Land Shark (formerly Crazy)
When I can't write, I become like a badger and start digging around. Maybe there's something in the past I can revisit/improve since I can't think of anything new. To me, that counts as exercise. Literary calisthenics. Years ago, I worked on a fishing processor in Alaska. Instead of taking photographs, I wrote a lot. …
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Advancing A Piece
I didn't realize until recently there is a very active wrestling community in Oakland and it is Hoodslam... and Hoodslam is Dope. I was introduced to it around the July 4th holiday and my best friend and me wanted to come see a full Hoodslam show. He was busy Friday which left me solo-bolo. I …
Ghost Ride The Party
Jimmy (not pictured) sent me this email: Party After Art&Soul Saturday. At my spot, 8pm. Potluck is cool. Incidentally, where you been??? I'm sorry, that's inerect language. I shoulda said " where you been ...at! Ah knows mah Anglish purty damn good. I called him during a break at work. The last time I spoke to and saw …
Four Ways Of Letting Go
1. Throw Things Away St Mary's Cathedral is a four block walk from my office in San Francisco, just at the entrance of Chinatown. I found my way there the morning I got a facebook message from my friend telling me his mother, subsequently my friend and mentor who brought me into the world of …
