NEW FAVORITE MEME

 

YES

 

HIMSELF

 

My Irish immigrant grandfather "Iron Mike" Lally, at two different stages of his career as a policeman, allegedly the first one in my New Jersey hometown. The story was  that my grandmother got the police doctor to get him an early retirement before he got kicked off the force for hanging in saloons when he was supposed to be on duty. My older relatives in the clan, in the Irish tradition, always referred to him as "himself" as when telling me "Sure if you don't look like himself."

OLD FRIENDS

 
Me and Kale Browne celebrating his 75th birthday and our 41 years of friendship. [photo by Cristi Zea, my shoulder purse made by one of my housemate/caregivers (partner to my son Miles) Hannah Bracken]

GEOFFREY YOUNG'S POETRY

To see why Geoff Young is one of my favorite poets (and people), check out these Youngian sonnets:

https://www.relegationbooks.com/article/five-poems-young/ 

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAYS

My adult grandchild Deak celebrating at a PRIDE festival recently where they were face painting others and did this to their self: "channeling David Bowie" as they said. Proud of their independence, as I am all my kids and grandkids.

AND AGAIN

 
SAY IT AGAIN An Autobiography In Sonnets, my latest book, came out this year, 2024, and now the year is half over and as far ss I know there haven't been any reviews or even mentions in publications that pay any attention to poetry. But there have been (as pointed out by friends) some amazing reviews on Amazon, for which I am totally grateful.

This book is the result of decades of work and according to some readers is as easy to read as watching a movie. In this case a documentary about how the impact of music, poetry, art, culture, politics, and life experience changed a working-class ethnic wannabe tough guy into an anti-war, civil rights, feminist gay liberation activist.   

If you haven't read it yet, give it a shot. If you have and you enjoyed it, spread the word however you can. Not just for me, but for Beltway Editions, the small press that published it (and may then publish the sequels in the future). And for all the creative souls that pour their hearts and hard work into something hopefully meaningful.