Words and Pieces

It's been overwhelming for me this past year dealing with chronic pain, turning 50, my favorite Uncle passing away, friends diagnosed with cancer, not seeing my family much, money problems and well....the crazy state of our country and world!!! LIfe my friends!  I mean, yes, I  know, in the scheme of world problems mine are not so awful.  It doesn't take away the fact that it's been a struggle for me.  So I made a pretty big decision to start learning more so I can practice Judaism. I've pretty much been a secular Jew my whole life.  We would go to my Grandparent's house when I was young to celebrate the Jewish Holidays but other than that I did not grow up knowing a lot about Judaism or having any kind of traditions instilled in me.  As a young adult I bought a Menorah and would light Hanukkah candles and that was it!  I think it was a way to feel connected to my grandparents who had both since passed away.  The thought has always been in th...

Observation of a couple on the train yesterday morning.  They caught my eye because of the way the woman was leaning into the man as they sat next to one another.  You know that lean when you are really comfortable with someone, be it a friend or a lover, that space sharing closeness that you enjoy without realizing it?!  One of the poles on the train that runs from the floor to the ceiling separated their legs but she was still able to lean against him in the seat as they passed a short purple Pringle’s can back and forth.  The two of them were enjoying the hell out of those chips as one would reach into the small cylinder, take out a short stack, and then hand it back to the other!  I thought it was sweet and then I started to think to myself "these people totally look stoned!"  Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not judging here!  I'm just relaying an observation that I caught with my eyes because it was way different than the average morning commute ...

Recently my friend Robert Langdon invited me to participate in a new exhibit at his gallery called "Art & Words: An Exhibition of Art & Poetry Inspiring One Another" .   This new show at Emerge Gallery & Art Space  is a collaboration between artists and poets.  Poets picked from artworks and artists chose poems that inspired them to create new works.  Robert sent me a pdf of the artworks that were available and when I saw the image of Maxine Davidowitz's  monotype and mixed media artwork titled " Darkness Rising I" the first line came right to me!  I still looked over the other art but I really was drawn to what seems to be these dark folds in Maxine's artwork.  I kind of imagine there could be someone or something hiding in there.  So I wrote my piece and called it "Delicate Parts". (see below) Emerge Gallery & Art Space is located at  228A Main Street, Saugerties, NY  (845) 247-7515.   The exhibit is open...

photos take by Miguel Cardenas   Today I headed back to school friends!  It's been over 30 years since I've stepped foot in a high school and today I made my return.  My good friend Miguel helps teach a class of about eight autistic teenagers at the local high school and he asked me if I would come read some of my poetry to them.  They are in the process of learning about poetry and he thought I could give them some good examples of free verse poetry that I have written.  When he first text me my initial reaction was "yes, i'd like to do it" but then after it set in I started to get the fear and the "am i good enough" thoughts running rampant in my head so I almost said no!  I'm really glad I didn't decline because it's important to push yourself sometimes, especially for something like this that isn't about me, it's about them!  I had to get myself up at 6am to get ready and leave the house by 8am.  The high school is only a 5/...

The train is waiting on the platform.  I'm sitting inside with Smashing Pumpkins streaming through my headphones feeling a bit forlorn.  The week is weighing on me.  My eyes are closed and I'm just listening.  I lift my head and open my eyes in time to observe  a woman on the platform  with bags hanging from her forearms,  walking towards the front of the train.  She is wearing a baseball cap with a team logo that I can't make out  but it tickles me because she doesn't look like the cap wearing type of woman.  She pauses for a moment to look down at her wrist watch  and then quickly brings her hands up in a prayer type position  and then claps them joyfully three times,  1...2...3,  as she starts to walk past the car I'm on.  I assume the happiness could be that she is making good time on her excursion into NYC? Witnessing that brief moment mak...

There are pillows waiting for heads to fall. As night time is lowered, the sandman called. With a sigh, a blink, a yawn, and a stretch, the day is gone yet... there are dreams to catch.