tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28424221673661333092023-11-15T06:42:56.861-08:00The May Project 2014Boog City Eventshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01736859750137242913noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842422167366133309.post-10530238433101946962014-09-10T18:18:00.001-07:002014-09-10T18:18:26.347-07:00The first poem each day is by Ian Wilder, the second is by David Kirschenbaum.<br />
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The May Project 2014<br /><br />May 1<br /><br />may day<br /><br />every year<br />seems to bring<br />a greater <br />emergency<br />more civil rights<br />violated<br />increased ecological<br />damage<br />another war<br /><br />yes<br />we must have<br />nonviolent resistance<br />to rolling, roiling oppression<br />halting expansion<br />making profiteers<br />question the next iteration<br /><br />but we must remember<br />the other face of<br /> satyagraha<br /><br />we must construct<br />a joyous, permanent maypole <br />with ribbons<br />of home-spun cloth<br />"hand-grinding<br />hand- pounding<br />soap-making<br />paper-making<br />match-making"<br /><br />May 1<br /><br />i put my laundry in the dryer, <br />before late breakfast/late lunch at my parent's house,<br />ate a mini-bialy with light cream cheese, <br />and red onion, lox, cucumber, tomato, and lettuce,<br />with club soda and lemon on ice,<br />before gathering recyclables and redeemables,<br />and heading downstairs to fold my laundry,<br />setting aside my sleepy clothes<br />and tomorrow's outfit,<br />blue jeans to go with yesterday's rugby shirt<br /><br />May 2<br /><br />Laundry<br />was the nickname<br />of my high school<br />classmate<br />Robert Limandri<br /><br />Bob was popular<br />among the geek set<br />that I orbited<br /><br />and even generally<br />he played<br />Captain Von Trapp<br />in the senior play<br /><br />Bob<br />arguably<br />is the most successful<br />of our graduating class<br /><br />he is the Commissioner<br />of Buildings<br />for New York City<br /><br />I don't remember<br />the exact details<br />but he got pulled<br />into an Occupy controversy<br /><br />something like<br />the decision fell to him<br />if <br />the Occupiers could stay overnight<br />in the semi-public<br />Zuccoti/Liberty Park.<br /><br />I was glad<br />Bob extricated himself<br />without having to make<br />a negative decision<br /><br />I always liked Bob<br />and didn't want to<br />be holding a placard<br />outside his office<br /><br />"hey, hey Laundry<br />how many kids <br />did you evict today?"<br /><br />May 2<br /><br />watching folks hyundai to save folks $25,<br />while dad's surgeon inspects his gallbladder gone wound,<br />they're done at about two<br />so i moved my new psychotherapist appointment up to three.<br />odds are they won't wait around until i'm done about four<br />so i'll head home with stewardess, computer, bike messenger, and thermal bags<br />on the 23rd street crosstown bus,<br />to ensure i make my new psychotherapist appointment at three.<br /><br />May 3<br /><br />apron<br />of our driveway<br />has a pothole on its edge<br /><br />a low priority<br />in the list of defects<br />to be fixed<br />for our 80-year-old home<br /><br />the majority of the hole<br />fronts<br />contiguous driveway<br />of the house<br />rented out next door<br /><br />the town<br />owns that section<br />of land<br /><br />not sure who<br />is less likely<br />to fix it.<br /><br />May 3<br /><br />after giving up<br />go see the statue of liberty<br />at least you tried<br />i'm having yesterday's uneaten cream cheese bialy<br />still good.<br /><br />May 4<br /><br />Star Wars<br />Day<br />just doesn't<br />click for me<br /><br />I grew up <br />reading the science fiction<br />classics<br />Heinlein<br />Asimov<br /><br />as a boy<br />I attended Star Trek<br />conventions<br />and even<br />got to ask<br />Gene Roddenberry<br />a question<br /><br />at age 11<br />I watched<br />A New Hope<br />in the theaters<br /><br />waiting in the <br />long lines <br />that seemed <br />to be the hallmark<br />blockbuster<br />1970s movies<br /><br />and I anxiously awaited<br />Empire Strikes Back<br />and Return of Jedi<br /><br />decades later<br />Joseph Campbell<br />has informed my understanding<br />of how societies<br />use mythology<br /><br />yet I don't<br />feel the need<br />to celebrate<br />May the Fourth<br /><br />May 4<br /><br />subway platforms<br />can be dangerous<br />even when you're not<br />intending them to be.<br /><br />May 5<br /><br />Cinco de Mayo<br />celebrated <br />more in the US<br />than Mexico<br /><br />same way <br />St. Patrick's Day<br />and <br />Chanukah<br />are<br />commercialized <br />and<br />Americanized<br /><br />(is that synonymous?)<br /><br />Considering<br />the dearth of vacation<br />time<br />in the US<br />compared to the resting world<br />I wonder if we have traded<br />short spurts of<br />ethnic -tinged<br />shopping and drinking<br />for a real break<br />from work<br /><br />May 5<br /><br />(sing)<br /><br />cancel me<br />cancel you<br />do you really<br />have the flu?<br /><br />May 6<br /><br />other<br />people's words<br />are sometimes<br />more important than<br />my own<br /><br />climate change<br />democracy<br />and art<br />cannot<br />be ignored<br /><br />to insist<br />that all <br />words<br />must sprout from me<br />as a mushroom<br />from the back<br />of a troll<br /><br />May 6<br /><br />put a dozen eggs<br />into my spaghetti pot<br />half fill it with water<br />add a bit of salt<br />cover it, <br />set the timer for 10 minutes<br />check that its boiled,<br />remove from flame<br />set the timer for 12 minutes<br />drain hot water,<br />run cold water water over the eggs,<br />drain cold water,<br />put 11 eggs back into the carton,<br />crack the last one on the pot's cover,<br />an easy peel<br />before salt then bite then salt then bite then salt then bite.<br /><br />May 7<br /><br />serendipity<br />of internet meanderings<br />happened upon<br />Melissa Etheridge's<br />pean<br />to love equality<br /><br />reminding me<br />of her debut <br /><br />a cassette tape<br />buried <br />in the bottom <br />of a packed box<br /><br />resurrected<br />by my local library's<br />portal<br />to a county<br />of CDs<br /><br />shared for a <br />fortnight<br /><br />May 7<br /><br />napping isn't working anymore<br />daylight waking<br />no shades awakened<br />for awhile<br /><br />May 8<br /><br />"who'll walk through fire for you"<br /><br />yesterday<br />a large skin tag<br />turned purple<br /><br />as they are<br />wont to do<br />when blocked<br />by a blood clot<br /><br />i expected<br />it to turn black<br />shrivel up<br />and fall off<br /><br />as is the normal course<br />according to internet medicine<br />and the RN I conferred with today<br />on the telephone<br />when the proceedings went awry<br />(but more on that later)<br /><br />more than expected<br /><br />hoped<br /><br />the tag<br />had been an annoyance <br />on my chest for decades<br /><br />besides the expense<br />i probably never got it<br />removed<br />since it was<br />a genetic tie<br />to my mother<br /><br />unlike my mother<br />this skin tag<br />got ill-tempered<br /><br />it stayed purple<br />blew up like a grape<br />and finally started<br />oozing<br /><br />of course<br />this was on<br />my doctor's day off<br /><br />and my dermatologist<br />couldn't see me<br />any time soon<br />and even his associates<br />couldn't for another<br />fortnight<br /><br />when it started<br />oozing<br />i went to my<br />local<br />urgent care<br /><br />took a look<br />cleaned <br />bandaged<br />prescribed antibiotic<br />(gotta remember to eat yogurt)<br />and smoothed a way <br />for a different local dermatologist<br />to remove it<br />(hopefully) tomorrow<br /><br />May 8<br /><br />sleeping isn't working anymore<br />can't outrace the maylight<br /><br />May 9<br /><br />two different<br />stories<br />co-exist<br />as to why<br />Newton's<br />explanation<br />of planetary motion<br />languished in a drawer<br />an unfinished poem<br />until Edmond Halley<br />begged<br /><br />Newton had fled<br />London<br />when the plague hit<br />doing calculations<br />in the countryside<br />and at least once<br />in an orchard without his books<br /><br /><br />inserting <br />from memory<br />the mass of planets<br />into his equations <br /><br />he found <br />his equations<br />didn't quite work<br />he drawered them<br /><br />until Halley arrived <br />to point out <br />Newton<br />had misremembered <br />the mass <br /><br />and with the correct mass<br />the numbers worked<br /><br />yet <br /><br />Newton<br />was bullied<br />by the Royal Society's<br />Robert Hooke<br />on a previous optics<br />discovery<br />Hooke claimed credit <br /><br />Newton feared<br />proclaiming <br />his planetary equations<br />would again<br />invite<br />Hooke's<br />sharp elbows<br /><br />over a cup of coffee<br />with Halley<br />Hooke claimed to have solved<br />planetary motion<br />yet could not provide<br />the mathematical proof<br /><br />surprisingly<br />Hooke<br />suggested<br />Halley visit<br />Newton who might <br />be able to make <br />the calculations<br /><br />Newton proclaimed<br />to Halley<br />he already had<br />promised to copy them over<br />and send them along<br /><br />no mention of Hooke <br />in the first<br />no mention of the <br />misremembered mass <br />in the second<br /><br />is either correct<br />or a combination?<br /><br />May 9<br /><br />four alarms set<br />for bloodwork<br />for pick up meds<br />for psych hello<br />up to pee just before first alarm<br />cancel psych and the rest<br />pee<br />grab quart of water from the fridge<br />find jug of lithium i'd forgotten about in my mets meds bag,<br />pull sleepy bandanna over eyes.<br /><br />May 10<br /><br />unresolved physical<br />problems<br />and <br />an exhausting work week<br /><br />leave me <br />needing to take it<br />down a notch<br /><br />no yardwork<br /><br />but still <br />library board prep<br />and a checkbook to balance<br /><br />May 10<br /><br />from the railroad<br />to arthur treacher's<br />i like my parents<br /><br />May 11<br /><br />Mother's Day <br />at<br />my in-laws<br /><br />my parents<br />have passed<br /><br />the day will be enjoyable<br /><br />but still<br />miss my parents<br />too much<br /><br />to rant <br />about Mother's Day<br />originally<br />being about peace<br /><br />May 11<br /><br />my sweatpants,<br />all sweatpants,<br />need velcro in their pockets<br />so everything stays where i want it to.<br />i keep my phone and my pills<br />in my shirt's left-breast pocket<br />so they stay where i want them to.<br /><br />May 12<br /><br />chilly Spring<br />finally <br />breaks<br /><br />yellow pollen<br />blankets my car<br /><br />my eyes itch<br /><br />May 12<br /><br />i taped the tonight show<br />because the info said<br />musicians neil young and jack black<br />which didn't make much sense to me.<br /><br />May 13<br /><br />Some days<br />I'd rather not<br />drive<br /><br />stuck<br />in a seat<br />leg muscles<br />back muscles<br />cramping<br /><br />the monotony<br />of the road<br /><br />the noises<br />of the engine<br /><br />the cost<br />of gas<br /><br />gas fumes<br />exhaust fumes<br /><br />the worry of repairs<br /><br />May 13<br /><br />i watched the tonight show<br />because the info said<br />musicians neil young and jack black<br />which didn't make much sense to me<br />but i wanted to hear neil young.<br />playing the show<br />jimmy fallon says<br />"we'll be right back with neil young and jack white."<br /><br />May 14<br /><br />cognac<br />and soy sauce<br />in vegetable broth<br />taste of beef<br /><br />May 14<br /><br />no wifi at the doctors' office<br />the 10 doctors in the practice doctors' office<br />o the humanity.<br /><br />May 15<br /><br />Ides of May <br />1856<br />L. Frank Baum<br />was born<br /><br />no one<br />saw<br />divinity <br />of Lewis' lion<br />in Oz<br /><br />but for several recent decades<br />the uncowardly<br />Bryan<br />was nailed<br />to silver slippers<br />and the golden road<br /><br />May 15<br /><br />when my supplies run low<br />i drink ice water throughout the day<br />and one two-liter soda bottle at bed time.<br />tonight i have a 2014 Diet Dr Pepper cued up.<br /><br />May 16<br /><br />Ginger<br />I found out<br />recently<br />is not only<br />good for <br />digestion<br />but also<br />breathing<br /><br />But to persons<br />of a certain age<br />it only reminds them<br />of <br />Mary Ann<br /><br />May 16<br /><br />no more searching<br />or replying<br />one weight off me<br />one weight off me<br />no matter<br /><br />May 17<br /><br />mismatched<br />socks<br /><br />the oft asked<br />where did<br />the partner<br />go<br /><br />does everyone have <br />a drawer full <br /><br />how often<br />does one<br />lay them out<br />for <br />reunification<br /><br />how often to<br />turn<br />long term<br />stragglers<br />into<br />rags<br /><br />or just <br />wear<br />an ill-sorted<br />pair<br />for weekend <br />chores<br /><br />May 17<br /><br />everything including some pennies<br />on a sicilian pie with mushrooms<br />and orange crush and diet pepsi two liters.<br />pie'll last me three days,<br />might have some money by then.<br /><br />May 18<br /><br />13<br />year old<br />nephew's<br />birthday<br /><br />and my deceased <br />father<br /><br />his grandfather<br /><br />13 years ago<br />Kimberly and I<br />were at <br />the 56th Fighter Squadron<br />with my parents<br />for my father's birthday<br /><br />of the 4 of us<br />my father was the only one<br />with a cellphone<br /><br />the call came<br />announcing<br />my nephew's<br />imminent arrival<br /><br />Kimberly and I <br />left in the middle<br />of dinner<br />to care <br />for his 2 and 6 year old<br />brothers<br /><br />my parents<br />didn't<br />mind<br /><br />May 18<br /><br />two slices yesterday<br />two slices today<br />five to go<br />later a gala apple,<br />a baked potato with deli mustard,<br />or mini bialies with american cheese.<br /><br />May 19<br /><br />Archibald<br />MacLeish<br />read<br />a selection<br />of Emerson's poetry<br />gently<br />respectfully<br />lyrically<br /><br />a poor<br />choice<br /><br />May 19<br /><br />i'm checking in on you<br />don't know what else to do<br />it's really easy to<br />reply<br /><br />May 20<br /><br />my cursory<br />college reading <br />of Emerson<br />left me<br />with the impression<br />that he was <br />the passive tense<br />of the<br />woodlands living<br />Mexican War Tax protesting<br />simply simplify<br />different drummer <br />Thoreau<br /><br />revisiting<br />their work<br />a quarter century<br />later <br />clarifies<br /><br />Emerson <br />was the <br />theoretical<br />structural<br />financial<br />underpinning<br />of the <br />Transcendentalists<br /><br />and <br />even more<br />the inheritance<br />from his new bride's<br />death<br />at age 20<br />provided<br />the opportunity<br />for all<br /><br />May 20<br /><br />it's over a decade<br />and every day i'm watching the gilmore girls<br />more often than i b rush my teeth<br /><br />May 21<br /><br />Certain days<br />of the year<br />seem<br />to have <br />their own<br />seasonal moon<br /><br />tides of similar<br />occurrences<br />swell<br />and crash<br />against<br />the conscious shore<br /><br />relationships<br />thought gone<br />return<br />as problems<br />of increasing<br />magnitude<br /><br />May 21<br /><br />look for me<br />repeat<br />look for me<br />repeat<br />eventually look for me<br />repeat<br /><br />May 22<br /><br />eating<br />at Friendly's<br />with<br />my brother's family<br />to celebrate <br />my 13 year old nephew's<br />birthday<br /><br />the 15 year old<br />looks up<br />"that's the song<br />we played at my concert"<br /><br />signed<br />sealed<br />delivered<br />i'm yours<br /><br />May 22<br /><br />wendy's french fries<br />are fried in a separate fryer<br />so i can eat them<br />wendy's french fries suck<br />even though they're fried in a separate fryer<br /><br />May 23<br /><br />some days<br />seem to be <br />overflowing<br /><br />quickly moving from <br />one<br />to the next<br /><br />until the next day<br />has arrived<br /><br />an interlude<br />of cake<br />helps relive<br />the exhaustion<br /><br />May 23<br /><br />soda at cvs<br />chicken wrap and baked potato at wendy's<br />fish and chips and onion rings at arthur treacher's<br />chocolate and vanilla haagen dazs pops at the former dairy barn<br />back to folks,<br />still in slippers and sleepy shorts.<br /><br />May 24<br /><br />my honors<br />college course<br />reading<br />left me<br />with the impression<br />that Emerson<br />was the passive<br />tense of Thoreau<br /><br />my then<br />professor's admonition<br />not to delve<br />too deeply<br />into the transcendentalism's <br />Hindu roots<br />because it was<br />a religion founded<br />in poverty<br />did not encourage<br />further exploration<br /><br />i remember him<br />being more entranced<br />by Buddenbrooks<br />Germanic discounting<br />of the disabled<br /><br />a quarter century <br />later<br />my explorations<br />have unearthed<br />Emerson's<br />personal<br />theoretical<br />structural<br />financial<br />toils<br />to build the <br />superstructure<br />of transcendentalism<br /><br />without Emerson<br />failed author Thoreau<br />and many others<br />would not<br />have had<br />an education<br />a livelihood<br />the land to squat on<br />or the borrowed money<br />to buy a shed<br /><br />May 24<br /><br />at the end of million dollar arm<br />the tale of discovering <br />two baseball pitchers <br />in a country, india, devoid of baseball,<br />we watch the two pitchers get signed to minor league contracts,<br />and as type scrawls across the screen,<br />updating us to some of the real-life characters in the film,<br />they forget to tell us how<br />one of the pitchers just didn't cut it and retired,<br />while the other is on his last leg,<br />having just had tommy john surgery on his pitching arm<br /><br />May 25<br /><br />saturday afternoon<br />nap<br />with<br />one you <br />love<br /><br />luxury<br />no amount<br />of wealth<br />can match<br /><br />May 25<br /><br />no more good wife<br />until september<br /><br />May 26<br /><br />#yesallwomen<br />You are right to be outraged. It is a huge problem that is not being dealt with. Even the military refuses to acknowledge it. We will not have a just society until the attitude which supports violence against women is dealt with<br /><br />being a<br />truth teller<br />can be<br />lonely<br />and bruising<br /><br />those who<br />are almost<br />ready<br />to hear<br />will struggle<br />the most<br />like a child<br />resisting<br />sleep<br /><br />May 26<br /><br />folks back late from the track<br />mom talks a big dinner<br />after a while <br />i reheat three mushroom slices<br />cook three ears of corn.<br /><br />May 27<br /><br />About 16 years ago<br />I had lunch <br />with my father<br />at a Chinese restaurant<br />in Babylon village<br />that is no longer there<br />(but neither is he)<br /><br />My mother <br />was out of town<br />at the time<br />either <br />at a community activist<br />meeting<br />or<br />visiting relatives<br /><br />I asked him <br />if I could use<br />his mother’s <br />engagement ring<br />to propose.<br /><br />“You have<br />to ask<br />your mother.<br />I gave it<br />to her.”<br /><br />May 27<br /><br />forgot my niece's 21st birthday<br />until facebook reminded me,<br />emailed her anyhow<br /><br />May 28<br /><br />today<br />was going to be<br />about<br />the confluence<br />of listening to<br />Claire Danes<br />read <br />The Handmaiden's Tale<br />and its reference<br />arising<br />in a discussion<br />of #YesAllWomen<br /><br />a different sadness interupted<br />a memory surfaced<br /><br />early 1990's<br />living in DC<br />somewhere the Oprah show<br />was on<br />I liked Oprah <br />but generally <br />did not watch television<br /><br />her guest<br />was a woman<br />I had never heard of<br />(it was before the Clinton Inauguration)<br />she was introduced<br />as a poet<br /><br />Maya Angelou<br /><br />entranced<br />she spoke<br />of not allowing<br />prejudice in her home<br />politely but firmly<br />telling a guest<br />the behavior<br />is inappropriate<br /><br />May 28<br /><br />kinda wishing for a <br />car accident<br />that kills my parents and me,<br />easier that way<br /><br />May 29<br /><br />relief<br />at the<br />business magazine<br />wrap-around<br />announcing<br />the end <br />of the subscription treadmill<br />started<br />from minimal<br />frequent flyer miles<br />earned<br />on a business trip<br />to San Diego<br />on my higher<br />credit limit<br />card<br /><br />will always<br />carry<br />memory<br />of waving<br />to my wife <br />babysitting<br />in Cape Cod<br />through<br />the San Diego<br />zoo<br />panda<br />cam<br /><br />May 29<br /><br />thought of calling my sister<br />to get together for my dad's birthday tomorrow<br />then thought of the aggravation<br />over almost every part of it<br /><br />May 30<br /><br />interview questions<br /><br />heavy client contact<br />high stakes decision<br />juggling files<br /><br />why did you leave<br /><br />May 30<br /><br />it's some sorta wrong<br />to wanna be dead<br />on your father's 84th birthday<br /><br />May 31<br /><br />for years<br />we celebrated<br />Walt Whitman's<br />birthday<br />by going to his<br />state park<br />birthplace<br />house <br /><br />and<br />our own<br />private ceremony<br />of a<br />moment<br />of silence<br /> to hear<br />the waves<br />from any point<br />on Paumanok <br />as he claimed<br />you could<br />in his time<br /><br />in 2009<br />we didn't notice<br /><br />the day before<br />after weeks of trying<br />we placed <br />my mother<br />in a hospice facility<br />from home hospice<br /><br />we all knew <br />that she<br />was holding on<br />past what<br />medical science<br />could understand<br />and she was past<br />being able to express<br /><br />but we all knew<br />she didn't<br />want to die<br />at home<br /><br />the opposite <br />of my father<br /><br />after one<br />night's sleep<br />in the hotel<br />inspired hospice<br />she died<br />on the day<br />of Whitman's birth<br /><br />we now light<br />a yahrzeit candle<br />on that day<br />every year<br /><br />May 31<br /><br />back home<br />to greet new roommate<br />clean his room before he arrives<br />roberta left a pair of high heels<br />they're sitting in my front hall now,<br />waiting for a match<br />Boog City Eventshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01736859750137242913noreply@blogger.com0