I live on a leaf

The Air Beside MeI live on a leaf I’ve gone all the way out to the end of the wind holding on where silkworms lay down silver threads Green branches rub and saw like violins And birds tip their wings on the air beside me Sunlight breeze and stars at night the hush of thoughts in my head This is the faraway world I find myself in where I may never have to worry  because I believe in the leavesAnnotated Leaf:This is from the book of poems:'Bowl...

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Mr. Mnemonic

Early this morning, I was having a dreamfeaturing a character with a weird name.I wanted to remember his name, to use inthe story he was telling me, so I woke up.In the darkness of our room, I reached overto the bedside table and wrote his name.Later, when it was day, I read the wordI wrote down: mnemonic. And later onagain, coming downstairs, I looked it upin the dictionary: "of or designed to aidthe memor...

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The Cherry Trees

Today I sneaked out of my jobto take pictures of the cherry tr...

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Martian Tigers

Another rocket landed on Mars. Once the smoke and dust cleared,the door opened. Nothing movedfrom the rocket until the floor tippedand out dropped a tiger.It was groggy from the long flight,it got to its feet, unsteadily rubbedits stripes against the silver rocket legas it blinked around at the red planet.It stretched its neck and smelled the air,tail wagging. Tigers were the onlyEarth animals to really adapt tothe conditions here. Few creatureshad...

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All Shakespeare's Birds

Edward Shepherd stepped out of the elevator carrying a suitcase filled with birds. After the cold winter air of Lima, Ohio, the sudden warmth of the red planet hit him like a wave. He wore his best tan searsucker suit, he swung the suitcase lightly as he stepped onto Mars. This was his second trip to Mars. The first time, half a year ago, he’d been struck by the bare violet sky, awfully empty. He took it upon himself to change...

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movie time

'Riso Amaro' (Bitter Rice) Italy, 1...

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The Cardboard Violin

The Cardboard Violin Myrtle Beet was done making a cardboard violin. Nobody was there to ask her about it, the long hours it took to construct and paint and string. While it rested like an elegant duck on her counter top, she could admire it and breathe all the satisfaction she needed. What a marvelous and perfect imitation, she had even detailed the wood grain, she knew anybody looking at it would never know. She smiled then...

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April Ohio Reading

Selected Correspondenceof Kenneth Patchen reading:Thursday April 26, 2012at the Lakewood Public Library15425 Detroit Ave, Lakewood OHIO...

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The Spring Bird Song

The Spring Bird Song The spring bird song is back All this cold winter that kept it Tucked away like a record On a shelf to be remembered And ready to be replayed At the first sign of new life When those cattail bones Turn green again And blackbirds perch On top the crowns (Note: This poem originallyappeared in Another LifeBird Dog Publishing, 200...

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Mr. Harryhausen

Last week, after I told JGenius I just saw a girlwith yellow seagull feet, he reminded me of acinema moment we both experienced as kids: “that old Sinbad movie with the witch "Zenobia" in it.She took some potion that transformed her into a seagullto do some spying and shenanigans, but then ...

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The Invisible Poet

Discovered this book, The Invisible Poet: T.S. Eliotwith child's writing in fro...

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Rejected New Yorker Comic #2

I uncovered another one of my comicsThe New Yorker magazine reject...

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Audubon Librarian

Meanwhile, at the librarythey're lining up the booksfor the furnace. I feel likeAudubon, catching picturesof them before they're go...

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Seeing Eye Mouse

This is a little stapled comic bookI made for Rosa when she was a baby.Probably from 1997 or 1998.There was a song that went along with ...

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Dinosaur Sighting!

This photograph appeared in the library book-drop,clear proof that dinosaurs exist! There's little togo on, the date is August 13, 2011 and thelandscape appears to be magma, perhapssome volcanic tropical island. Now if only wecould hire on Peter Lorre and James Mason,the adventure to track this beast down could beg...

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Fishtown

Just finished reading these two booksabout Fishtown. Hoping to visit the ruinslater this spring when it gets sunny again.JGenius has a canoe buried under his barnwe can go see the poetry of Robert Sund.A drive down the coast from hereFishtown is featured in my novelThe Mermaid Translation(Bird Dog Publishing, 20...

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Telephone Joe

Telephone Joe Joe worked in the tall wind A professional telephone line repairman his only problems came when he returned to the Earth. Gravity wanted to pull him back down to where he could be chased by dogs run over by cars rattled by love, mortgage payments, all the earthly delights of America falling in the late 20th century. But when he was up on a pole, tying up the wires that ran the humming electricity...

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After the Rain

@font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } After The Rain After the rain when puddled land is spilled out clouds touched on ground we’ll go from each to each as if they’re seas to be named or a watergiant’s...

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