Month: December 2013

To The Tune “Plum Blossoms Fall And Scatter” by Li Ch’ing-chao

/ zdunno03 / 4 Comments

The perfume of the red water lilies
Dies away. The Autumn air
Penetrates the pearl jade curtain.
Torches gleam on the orchid boats.
Who has sent me a message
Of love from the clouds? It is
The time when the wild swans
Return. The moonlight floods the women’s
Quarters. Flowers, after their
Nature, whirl away in the wind.
Spilt water, after its nature
Flows together at the lowest point.
Those who are of one being
Can never stop thinking of each other.
But, ah, my dear, we are apart,
And I have become used to sorrow.
This love–nothing can ever
Make it fade or disappear.
For a moment it was on my eyebrows,
Now it is heavy in my heart.

translated by Kenneth Rexroth

on humor: for Little Chuck

/ zdunno03 / 3 Comments

there was this woman
who lived in Big Chuck’s building
and had an interest in him
even though he was not interested in her
in that way
but enjoyed her company
and that of her mother, too
anyway
Big Chuck reads a lot
sometimes 2 or 3 books at once
and this woman to impress him
I think
told him how much she loved
The DaVinci Code
which she had read like
a hundred times
when Big Chuck told this
to Little Chuck
at the donut shop
late one night
Little Chuck said
Ah, lover of book
or the time
Big Chuck took Little Chuck
to a party
and Big Chuck was charming
a rather attractive Russian woman
and Little Chuck
upon discovering she was from Russia
asked how the squirrel and the moose were doing
a reference to a cartoon show
totally lost on the lady
and she became totally lost
to Big Chuck
as a result
and finally
when Little Chuck learned
that my house in NY
was next to the train tracks
he became obsessed about my safety
imagining trains flying off the tracks
and crashing into my house
and began sending me notices
of train derailments
and a gift of a blinking RR light
to warn me of any danger
coming my way
though the only real danger
is losing the friendship
to the distance
between us now
these thousands of miles away

facebook pictures

/ zdunno03 / 1 Comment

as I post pictures in albums
of trips I’ve taken
this past year
I find they are devoid
of people
or at least a person
who I would imagine
standing there
filling the frame
with her presence
and though there is no name
nor face
to that presence
I miss her
just the same

on believing in happiness: for Chuck

/ zdunno03 / 1 Comment

so there’s the weekly conversations
when skype is working
about books music women life work
there’s the plans
the trips to Mission Ranch
where I stayed once
on your recommendation
Izzy’s Steak House
that New Year’s Eve
with Little Chuck
who is actually taller than you
but you’re still Big Chuck
in our eyes
the balloons floating toward heaven
that list of questions
we were instructed by you
to ask all available women
and lo and behold
it did lead to conversation
some of it even interesting
there are the magazines you lay out
the CDs DVDs books
you’re always listening to something
though you tend to watch the same movies
over and over and over
again
you are the kind of friend
whose picture is in the dictionary
under loyalty
and though opinionated
they are opinions worth hearing
you keep coming back to the Jesuits
and I admire that in you
your values
your belief in goodness
and charity
and the power of love
which is God in your eyes
there are the morning masses you go to
the opera
the baseball games at Giant Stadium
basketball at Stanford
you would be called
a Renaissance Man
in a different time
one that would appreciate you better
and though I don’t think
you should tell women which shoes to wear
you do it from love
as you do all things
for you are one of the kindest
most loving persons
I know
you could learn to cook
though
and you may be a bit too obsessive
about haircuts
but an evening at Bics with you
is never dull
your past is checkered
with different careers
you’ve been so many people
done so many things
bookeditorjournalistmusiccritictvproduceragentadvertisingexec
and you play a damned good round of golf
I think
however
you might own a dozen or so
too many polo shirts
but your two tone shoes are mint
you’re part William Powell
part Felix Unger
with a dash of Bing Crosby
thrown in
we’ve only lived in the same city once
a thousand years ago
when you tried to buy my book
for Avon Books
and we played pool to The Police Roxanne
lunch at the Getty Museum
you stayed with me in NY
in Lynbrook
where Charlie bought the beer
an act of kindness
you cannot forget
and in Long Island City
in Bayside too
and I stayed at your place
in Santa Monica
two places actually
in San Francisco
there was The Stones Some Girls on repeat mode
the long play of course
and Sinatra doing Summer Wind
for three hours
while we killed a couple of bottles
of Glenfiddich for you
Jameson for me
what were we thinking
and though I can say
you’ve led an eventful life
why you can’t find
a woman worthy of your heart
is beyond me
Chuck
old friend
you deserve happiness
we all do
of course
but I would forfeit my chance
to see you get yours
for you are a true gentleman
a prince
as they used to say
deserving of that princess
in that castle
in that kingdom
this lifetime
here and now
believing in happiness again
for the last time
and it pains me to hear
you stopped believing in it
these days
Chuck
old friend
these days will pass
and the sun will shine
in San Francisco
for you
again