perpetual jam!!!!!!!!!

[saw]

thank you sasha
yes, the fight begins
learned a lot watching two kids
deal with leukemia , the courage
it took to not want dad to worry
at six and fourteen years old
that's extraordinary....I remember
one day early on with my son, trying
to make small talk with the other kids
dealing with cancers of all shapes, and
they basically called me on it, made me dig
we need to talk about all this straight up
perhaps that's why I'm jammin' here
in the real world, no need to pretend
the fights are real, the jam is real
don't worry I won't dwell on it too much
there are other jams waiting to happen
other music I want to hear, and you dear
friends, we still dance the poetic two step
we still talk about the the complexity
of it all, the highs, the lows, the laughter
the pain, all one big life, of ups and downs
I'm a lucky man to have stellar friends
from cyberbia to suburbia....one big jam

[saw]

feeling upbeat
a good tempo for the unknown
working hard
apartment nearly finished
an art-ment really
used only stuff in the shed
leftovers from years of saving
this and that and them
only had to add imagination
weave it all into a quilted place
to live, a little cedar, a little redwood
some beveled glass doors
from Reggie Jackson's mother's house,
a chunk of marble, various pieces of trim
it was all there in grab-bag
hiding in dusty corners, fuck
home depot , just took a little digging
around in the head, in the corrugated
metal wonderland painted Hunter Green
Rustoleum Baby !....that's the way to go
last painted 24 years ago, daughter
will take it on again this summer,
a little scraping, then paint for the next 24
if I'm still around that would be cool,
if not, well ...that old building, she will still be there

[WIREMAN]

at union station killing time
train at three 45
rain all mighty
worked on drawings
and back charge tickets
till one
time for the weekend
lotsa people coming to town
lotsa happenings in Fredrick
this weekend too

killin time
looking down tourismo
hum of passengers

ah to jam
free
no place I gots
to be or not be
time ain't on my side
but.....fuck it
I gots a little
bit of the now
really all u got
in life
moms bday today
bless her

future past
I was a lil tiger
in the woods.......roar!

maybe this is a hobobun
no maybe's about it
where's that pizza
free wifi here at uno's
oh yeah!
hungry....ugh
got some apple fritters in the bag
but no....I'll wait
thinking bout u Steve
got an invite to the
market Sunday's under
the freeway dtown B'more
no car though
used to love that Sunday
morn walk round the farmers mkt.
with Carole Jean

time flying ....wooooosh!
Baltimore daze gone
smell of coffee brewing morn

come on pizza......

[saw]

love the market under the JFX
always something cool to see,
to hear...a old black man playing
a horn he made from PVC pipe
artists and farmers blending well,
and the food is so damn good, from
Artichoke to Zucchini, and hot food
ready to go, ethnic gems with aromas
wafting over the crowd, and Zeke's
coffee where my buddy Jamie slips
me a large Hippie Blend in the back
by the truck, a cool perk....we've done
a few carpenter gigs together, but this
guy seems to have about a thousand jobs
turns up everywhere, and the people are
sooooo diverse, it's the baltimore I love
from Artist to Zookeeper, the A's to Z's
of a tolerant town in the long run, fuck
all the negative coverage about Freddie Gray,
sure it was a bad scene, but a tiny sliver
of what the city has to offer, for little money
free music everywhere, free poetry, free art
crazy characters Shonda Rhimes could never
dream up....Red Emma's, Atomic Books
Paper Moon open twenty fours every day
John Waters twisting his pencil thin "stache
my daughter ends up in Hairspray, my son
and my daughter-in-law cranking out tasty
food and cocktails at their place Maggie's Farm
my grandson playing baseball for Hamilton
Little League where my son played, and ME
before them, aah the generational goodies
it's all here man, Artichoke to Zucchini

[WIREMAN]

brunch time Jammin
good to know the markets
still cookin beneath the
old freeway
charm city there's a reason
to believe
it'd be nice to get there
more often
last show I did at Minas
2 years ago...ugh!
damn shame he's closed now
but
the world is all about change
it was a good run with that
gallery, both performing and
showing my sculptures
both places
in fells pt. and hampden on
the avenue
the book fest. always amazing
it's an artalicious place for sure
Jammin
Sowebo
fells pt.
hampden
lauraville
Hamilton
mt. Vernon
Patterson park
federal hill
all the fantastic
places therein.......

[saw]

so much gray
reminds me how much
I love the sun
clarifies the reasons
we need to curb emissions
switch over from fossil fuels...
shit, the folks that that sell the oil
they are fossils themselves
cling to the old ways
like an old woman clings to her purse
at the bus stop, backward men
greedy men willing to kill
the planet to make a buck or two
damn, how stupid is that
enjoy the universe while you are here
get outside and see it, the sun
the air, the wildlife, take them in
absorb the wonder of what is still there
pray for a miracle even if you aren't
religious, meditate on a healthy future
for your kids, grand kids, you gotta
have hope when you look in their eyes,
I like to believe my relatives will be the ones
that turn it all around
once I'm in the ground
why not ?....it's a righteous thought
keeps me from doomsday scenarios
and it enlivens me to think they could make
the difference, they could save the planet

[WIREMAN]

beautiful thought Steve
gonna reign tonight
go to the open mic
see what happens
drink some beer
eat some good food
no work manana
go to the doc
see how bad things are
kinda got the pic on
this here puter
it's there if u look
ekg
biopsy results
my family medicos
goin over results
right now in fact
I'm gonna be wired poet
tonight

[saw]

distractions are essential
cuz real life can be serious
and if we plan to keep it real
all the time that can eat away
at your contentment, play
is every bit as important as work
and creativity is like good blood,
artistic release reminds one there is
more than the eight to four
wiring steel rods into patterns
on blueprints, we need the other
the thing we know is really us
when the day is done, friends
and music and projects of wonder,
good food and cocktails, and above
all, conversation, the language of love,
the expressions of hearts and minds
that rise above career and paying
dem bills, jammin' like a rogue warrior
singing and dancing, tangling up
in the sheets, getting out of your
conscious mind to the essence of it all
The Doors of Perception as Huxley called
them, the heartbeat of a man or a woman,,
living is the escape from television
and billboards, and memes.....smile
a lot, walk a lot, movement is the key
that opens them doors, get outside
your comfort zone, get outside in the woods
breathe the pine trees and lavish
in the streaks of sunshine that touch
the soul

[WIREMAN]

All's well here
Workn Manana
Take it easy

[sasha]

nigh onto 45 years
did I make that 25 mile commute
in all weather
June mornings
soft as her breasts
the rising sun painting long shadows
that swung around me
where route 12 tacks north
dark January mornings
when snow filled the air
like chaff
headlights peering ahead
through a crystal tunnel
trees arcing over the unplowed gravel road
bent under the their load
like laborers straining under cargo
October mornings
when the lake still drowsed
under a gossamer blanket
of steam
March mornings
snowmelt attacking in retreat
wreaking final vengeance
Templeton Road churned into pudding
through it all
all for the green
to stay fed
to pay the mortgage
and keep the lights on
...
but it had its own rewards
rare
but precious moments
discovered gems
small battles won
peer recognition
seldom
but just often enough

[WIREMAN]

Blank sheets of paper
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A life on splice
Everything disappearing
Replaced by the new
Beautiful blankness
White and clear
Fresh, unemcumbered
Like a high maintenance
woman walking down
Patrick Street
Like what was, yet can
never be
Like an amazing day on
the beach with the one
you love
Blank sheets of paper
Grey clouds will appear
Bordering on bluest visions
Yet, those blank sheets
will endure
Kindling your fondest memories

[saw]

found one of those
little telescope picture doodads
they used to sell on the beach
in Ocean City, a very tanned
photographer would walk along
with his camera snapping pictures
and if you chose to you could go to
the little telescope office
at the end of the day when the hot sun
was easing a bit with your girlfriend
and purchase these souvenirs, and
here in this box was one of those
red and white, so I held it up
to the lamp in in the den and there she was
Kate, with her Scandinavian cheek bones
in a blue bikini and me behind her
my arms around her slender waist
and our smiles as big as the horizon
our hair wet and salty and tousled
and I showed it to a friend of mine
and her first comment was
"looks like good sex", and all i could do
was smile, had no words for what
an impartial friend saw when she looked
into a tiny telescope

[WIREMAN]

Cell phones sure put
Those little box pics
Outta bizness

Jammin
Listening to funky music
"Play that funky music white boy!"
Playing here at jojo's
Food here
As u can see I'm feeling
Much better

[sasha]

oh yeah, man
jammin'
cookbook searched, read,
and shut
now it's time
for me 'n Miles
to do our thing
him on that lonely horn
me in the kitchen
"what? no garlic?"
must be a typo
it ain't food
til it's got the garlic
so in it goes
and maybe
a little jalapeno
and maybe
more than a little
let's jam
let's cook
let's do this right!

[WIREMAN]

Simply-fied
A garden martini (tomato juice, vodka, & aioli oil)
Russet fries
@ Cafe Nola
Yes I eat out
A lot
Sunday evening
Monday morn
Early wake up call
3:30
10 min. Snooze
Picked up @ 4:30
45 mins to DC
Like a flash
Classic vinyl time
Back home now
Collective cheer from
Cuban place below me
Almost 8 pm.
Mind on Modigliani
Those elongated necks
Haunt my dreams