Riprap -Gary Snyder From Turtle Island, New Directions Press, 1974 Lay down these words Before your mind like rocks. placed solid, by hands In choice of place, set Before the body of the mind in space and time: Solidity of bark, leaf or wall riprap of things: Cobble of milky way, straying planets, These … [read more]
Manifesto for warm-hearted bi-ped earth-walkers- Nikki Hodgson
Friends, Many of you know Michael Hodgson. Some know his daughter Nikki. Nikki has followed in the little guy’s footsteps, and made a real mark for herself as a writer. Her pieces from Palestine a few years ago were among the best writing from there I have seen: human-scaled and visceral, leaving the reader with … [read more]
Drinking With Strangers
Drinking With Strangers March 2011 I walked up to the shitty little neighborhood Gunbarrel Mexican place for dinner, a place that offers many menu items ending with “ito”, usually a combination of one Mexican and one decidedly non-Mexican dish. I sat at the bar and ordered a double Big Boy Lemonade and a bean … [read more]
Urge
URGE A Parochial School Revenge Tale Six year-old Simon had peed himself, soaking the heavy, salt-and-pepper corduroy pants that, along with a crisp white shirt and green woolen sweater, were part of the school uniform he was required to wear. Urine filled his tiny wooden chair and ran down its legs into a puddle … [read more]
Marlboro Dharma
My Korean friend, Mr. Kim, who lives in HoChiMinh City, excused himself from the dozen-person dinner to sit on the bench outside the restaurant and smoke, following a fine meal. Kim had placed third as a body-builder in the Mr. Korea competition when he was 25, and significantly beefier. These days, Kim is built more … [read more]
The People
Gary Snyder’s conclusion of “For The Children” is a complete prescription for humanity:“Stay together, learn the flowers, go light.” Nothing is left out. I see us, through the restaurant window, together and not, going here and there, going on. There are no other politics. The People Rain slick streets of Shanghai lie worn but resolute … [read more]
