Vessel Log: 2009 05 12

Well, the saying says / an elephant never forgets. – Neko Case: People Got A Lot Of Nerve

: two students approach the classroom, summon me over; “Every day, he writes for roughly eight hours on the public computers at the library at NYU (his alma mater).” Who has that kind of time in a day? Is it jealousy or inspiration? Maybe both, wrote Not Quite What We Expected;

If you ever touch a hair on their heads / if you ever look at them the way you do me – The Mendoza Line: Since I Came

Rain strikes moderately; dandelions on the front patch bloom, recede, and burst with shiraga heads; patches like sea urchins; spiders, some big enough to name, hide in the bathroom, under the eave; A. and I walk to Seize the Day but it’s closed; “Sometimes they’re closed like the first or second Tuesday of the month,” she says; We walk to Goyen, I’m clutching my pants to keep them up; we talk: over-reacting the swine flu; the way the homeless are treated; stop at 7-11 for more treats, we enable each other; glass of wine, The West Wing, and Roseanne.

Vessel Log: 2009 05 08

: in damaged Japanese I attempt to explain; inverted conditions of happiness; they wrestle in the grass outside; carry shovels to the flower beds; takoyaki in English Club; the post office to mail Mothers’ Day cards to Nana and Mom; they’ll be late; I look cute in a new blue sweatshirt; take the slats from the windows, disturbing spiders in the process; skim research on creationism; Vertigo but sleep is overbearing.

Vessel Log: 2009 05 07

: the air is dust, wind, and petals; a pile of pink blooms gather in a corner by the 7-11; facing down procrastination; a shameful realization; how many people need to die before the lesson is learned?; a bike ride to Big House for red wine and red meat; the suburban, well-stocked aisles; freedom in movement off the grid of traffic signals; Concrete Blonde; a concoction of Australian meat and vegetables, enough to feed a family of four; The Weather Underground; those people remind me of people I know but not in a pleasant way; is it the 70’s all over again?

Vessel Log: 2009 05 06

: it takes one swift movement to get the ground clear; oppression of the disorderly; the neighbors could be gearing up for a party, the tables are lined, the grill exposed; dandelions and wild daffodils; ebitenoroshi soba for lunch; bus ride anxiety stirs nausea; Sapporo Factory, wandering thirsty; T. found a cheaper theater and meet at the Junko bookstore; Finally, Milk on the big screen; all that has changed and all that has stayed the same; Prop 6 could be Prop 8; Anita Bryant and the states are the states of marriage; Harvey Milk needs more than a school and a statue; “I saw The Times of Harvey Milk on TV when I was in high school and it totally affected me.” made me want to move to San Francisco (and the Tales of the City mini-series); where are we now? I was the only man in the theater; amber streetlights, trees with leaves, a cool night in the city; does the station remember me? Heartbreak, all this beauty lends melting; after that movie, I realize, I have no reason to lose.

Final Installment of The Beard on NameCalling

NameCalling has published Part 3 of a story I wrote called, The Beard.

A little blurb about NameCalling:

NameCalling.Org is a creative non-fiction online journal. Read tales of humor, tragedy and everything in between as authors explore name calling-for better or for worse. Check out the archives or search for your your name. Stories are posted every week. You’ll enjoy them all!

Best,
Corisa Moreno
Editor

Though my little story is not (exactly, as far as we know) CNF, Corisa was gracious enough to publish it.

Enjoy, please leave comments, please.

The Beard, Part 1
The Beard, Part 2
The Beard, Part 3

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

My Brightest Diamond: Inside A Boy