Dec
30
2015
I was thirteen years old when Kennedy was inaugurated. All I remember was a poet named Robert Frost reading a poem he wrote for the inauguration. He was very feeble looking and read slowly. He died two years later. He was the poet of that generation. He had won four Pulitzers for his poetry. That is the only memory that has stuck in my mind–this old man reading a poem.
Mar
15
2015
My birthday is coming up (and I am just depressed). I can not tell you exactly why although I can guess. Part of that is grief. Most of my life is over. I can’t go back. Wishing is futile. Somehow I need to settle things. My relationship with my daughter is fractured. I don’t know how to repair it. Lectures and judgements don’t do it. I am aware of the ticking time. I am running out of time. I guess, everyone wants to leave a legacy. I am working at getting my first book of poetry out but it is a long and uncertain process. My wife is the only one who really cares about that. She is my editor and a good one. Things really don’t matter. I really don’t know how much time I have left. For that matter, no one knows for sure. I know that somehow I need to make peace with the people who matter to me. I don’t know how. I am just depressed. That is all I know.
Jul
10
2013
The poem I write usually finds me. I just record it. Something happens to me. I just have to get it down. Or lose it. And in the beginning I do not edit at all. That comes later. I can never predict when my poems come. At that point getting it down and working on it is the most important thing in the whole world. I just obey my Muse. I usually know when I am done. There are no more words. The hard work comes later–the editing that is. I am lucky. I can run poems by my wife. She has good instincts.
May
12
2013
Editing when I write a poem (or blog) (or anything), is different for different types of writing. For blogs I edit as I go along. For journals entries that turn into poems I try initially to get the particular experience down. At that point I do not edit and if I decide to turn the entry into a poem I then start editing when I get to the computer. Letters I write I never edit. I do read my letter once. Sometimes I find omissions and add a word or two here or there but that is it. I but I really do not edit my letters.
I do write autobiographical short stories but this is rare. I could only remember three I wrote. There I write initially without editing and then when I get to the computer with it I get it all down, print the initial draft and then edit each subsequent draft which is done from the hard copy. This is my general process. I do use my wife as an editor. For a general reaction, which I always consider as I edit further. I am very lucky to have her.
Mar
31
2013
It was very difficult to hand over my manuscript to someone else for a general reaction. I suspect I know what his reaction will be but I had to hand over the manuscript for someone’s opinion other than my wife. The manuscript is my “baby”. I believe the manuscript is worthy. I guess I just have to wait for my friend to respond to my collection of poetry. It is just a hard thing to do. He did say he will be fair about the process. I will just have to wait and waiting is hard.
Mar
3
2013
I am going to keep a writing calendar. It was my wife’s idea. Every year we get lots of calendars in the mail we never use. I will use it in all kinds of ways. The dates of poetry submissions will be recorded. I will also put other tasks down revolving around my writing. The calendar will force me to become more accountable; after all, I don’t want the dates to be blank. I thought this was a great idea.
Mar
1
2013
Why is it your own “blood” does not validate you? My writing growing up was always taken for granted by my immediate family–my mom and dad and two sisters. In the beginning it was my letter writing. In the sixties I started keeping a journal. In the late seventies I wrote poetry. And now I am going on the fifth year of keeping a web site and blog. Both of my parents are now dead. I am not sure if my two sisters ever go on my web sites. They usually don’t comment on them. My writing is who I am, what is going on which is important to me.
Gratefully my wife cares about my writing, as well as other friends. I found out I had a talent for making people laugh at open mikes. And that is a validation of my writing although humor is not the only type of writing I do. I keep getting hits on my web sites and that is encouraging. And occasionally I get a poem published in a literary magazine. I guess we choose our friends. We can’t choose our family. Up till his dying day my father who lived until ninety-two was more impressed with money than anything I wrote. I was a failure in that area. That still hurts. Sometimes you have to go outside of your family for validation. And that was my case.
Feb
22
2013
What would I care about if I go after my wife? I can’t take my things with me. I know from dust I come and from dust I return. So what do I want to leave someone after I die–not much. The only thing I care about and hope I can leave in good hands is my journals and poetry. I would like to think at least a poem or two or three would outlive me. Money can’t buy happiness. Bill Gates, at one point, was the richest man in the world. So what does he do but pour billions in a foundation so, maybe, he can make a difference. Each person wonders if he/she will leave any kind of legacy. And there are multiple ways of doing that. It could be the memories your children have of you who in turn impact others. Memories of you may not die so quickly. Sometimes anyway. Many people when they approach the end of their life wonder about the legacy they will leave behind. At least I do.
Dec
5
2011
Every poem I write is pared to the essential. That was the one lesson I had to learn over and over in my two years of creative writing. The beauty of a written piece is always what is left out–the empty spaces. I had to look at my poems repeatedly to see what was necessary to say. I do not have to say something directly if it was said already even if was only said implicitly. Some teachers may use the statement, “Show don’t tell”. This is very difficult to do since it is my own work. It is hard to view it objectively. Of course, a good editor helps this process. It is very common for a beginner to resist this process. Everything they write they think is “gold.”
I am a little luckier than most: my wife is a fine editor. I do not hesitate to change something if her advice is on target. If her criticism is right, I will make the necessary changes. Your instincts have to be accurate. If a line (or a phrase or a word) can be taken out and the poem still stands, it was not necessary. Sometimes the opposite is necessary: you need to add something. There may be ambiguity you don’t want or maybe you want it there. You, also, may have to rearrange some lines. Your piece is not coherent. The reader can’t follow the poem easily. What are you trying to achieve with the piece? Sometimes that is not an easy question to answer and may determine the changes you make. You always have to make the decision when to leave the poem alone (and come back to it later) or whether it is even worth working on. Every word has to count.
Mar
24
2011
You have improved my life. It goes beyond the obvious. The material. The house we live in. We both love books and music. And the house is bursting with them. We both share a deep love of both.
The web site and blog you had a major hand in formatting. I never would have started either if it wasn’t for you. One and one really make three.
I prepare meals for you gratefully. It is a privilege for me. The two CD’s of my poetry came about for you encouraged me to recite my poetry in public and praised my delivery.
I never had such a large living room window and we watch the birds come to our feeders. If you had not loved watching birds as much as me, it never would have come about.
I play my music for you all the time. I usually play “DJ”. That is a privilege to share my music. We grew up in the same time frame and are familiar with quite a bit of the same music. That is a gift.
You make me laugh and that is also a gift. I write more funny poems because of your encouragement.
There are so many ways you enrich my life and these are only a few quickly stated ways.
Dec
24
2010
My world is interconnected. There are so many people I owe thanks to. And I am sure I will leave somebody out. A thanks to my primary doctor who takes goood care of me.
A thank you to our retired electrician who did some work in our house this year. My wife still loves that lamp you installed over the sink. And we have three new electric radiators and two new thermostats. There is nothing like heat in the winter.
Thanks, to Bob, who willingly answers my questions about “ailing” cars. Thank God I have not needed you too much this year and our 2006 SUV is behaving well.
Thank God to all my listeners at the Open Mikes. Their comments encouraged me and kept me writing.
A thanks to Mike whose comments in his letter to me I have picked up occasionally when my spirit dropped. I am sorry your best friend died unexpectedly.
There is Sonya, our postmaster, who always asks how I am doing, everytime I drop by our post office.
A thanks to the team of doctors that takes care of me–my nephrologist, etc. There are so many people I appreciate.
A thanks to the small church I go to–its pastor Pete and the many people I have become friendly with from there.
I know I have left out people. My sisters who had an hand in making my trip to San Francisco by train a reality and who both support me and care about me.
Philhaven, a thanks to for helping get me past a rough patch. You all know who you are.
And all my pets, particular my dogs: Pax who always comes to me when he wants something. And Tilla whose tail never refuses to wag when he see me. And Coco is a real sweetheart. And don’t let me forget Sweetie, who is just that a sweetie.
And that is just the dogs. Thanks Cool Hand Luke, the last pet still alive from my Duncannon days, a black cat, who often keeps me company on the bed.
And most of all my wife who is always there and gives me a reason to get up each morning.
Jan
8
2010
When I read a poem of mine in public, I have the audience for the first ten seconds. If I don’t capture their attention right away, I lose them so the beginnings of my poems have to be interesting and are important. I do not read a poem in public if there is any part of it I am not satisfied with. I can’t read the poem confidently and with the right inflections and feelings if I have any doubts concerning the poem. I have to believe in the whole package, that the poem was put together well. So with any piece of writing: you can’t have any major doubts of it, if you want to submit it for publication. It has to be as good as you can get it.
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