a toast.

to

the road.

and to guthrie.

to going hard

to jimi hendrix,

trevor borden

and curtis davenport.

in the words of mr. hapke,

"men of incredible stature."

on what to think

i think
i quit.

tom waits for nobody.

this man is a genius.

if you have not listened to his music, do it.

as diana small so brilliantly said:

he took what was right under your nose and made it into something you never could have.

on fall(ing), or the atumnal equinox

you hear crooners sing about
the first day of spring,
the birds out early in the morning,
the rain, the summer and its freedom nearing.

it's nice to see the plants grow, and for the sun
to shine until late at night.
but i like the fall.

i like:
having to put on a jacket before leaving the house
(hence having a jacket to offer someone if they forgot theirs)
the wind
cold mornings and cold evenings
fires in their places
dark early and dark late
raking leaves
mist from storms in the ocean

if one could have a formative season,
mine would be fall.
if i ruled the earth,
every day would feel like the middle of october,
or the autumnal equinox.

a great accomplishment.

September
2009

Geoffrey Jensen and James Hapke

If you're ever in Santa Barbara in need of a salsa dancing and surf lesson, go find James and Geoff. This newly formed corporate entity will teach you all you need to know to help the attraction factor in your life skyrocket to new levels. Ever seen anyone salsa on a surfboard? Take our advice and get a lesson or two on your next vacation.

(from the pigeon toed celebrity of the month page on the pigeon club website.  www.pigeonNYC.com)

on loss.

i am not home.

i am in the house i have lived in since i was five,

sitting on a chair that eric stein stained with a plum-juice mouth when i was nine,

i and james and my sister (sometimes) and my earthly possessions occupy an area

that i couldn't imagine being lived in by anybody else, ever.

does that make it home?

i would rather be taken from my bed while sleeping

and violently awakened on a moor in the middle of the day,

fog so thick i can't see but five feet forward (or back, or left, or right)

making it impossible to tell any heading that might lead me

in the general direction of home.

without a tongue to ask somebody where i am.

nobody would be able to tell me anyways.

this is worse.

the sky is clear.

i can tell direction and see pretty far,

but i don't know how to get home.

you should always let your mom take pictures.

even though you hate it,

and it makes you embarrassed,

let your mom take pictures.

let her take them when you're

far too old to be wearing a

party hat on your birthday.

let her take them to put on

the christmas card.

and try not to be so difficult.

you won't regret it.