Memoir
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La La Land
June 24, 1984. 41 years ago. Baltimore-Washington Airport. I said my last goodbyes to J Daniel Johnson, a friend I’ve known since 1972, after he drove me up from D.C. During the ride, all we could talk about was how… Continue reading
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Sand Water Sky
On June 25, 1984, at 12:01 a.m., after what seemed like a forever trip from Washington, D.C., I landed at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to begin my 41 years of life to date in Southern California, and man, it’s… Continue reading
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A Yankee Baseball Game
My father never took me to a Yankee baseball game when I was a kid. That was the secret burden of resentment I carried around for a long time. At some point, before he died from Multiple Myeloma in his… Continue reading
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Bargain With the Devil
We’ve all done it. Even if we don’t admit it. We make a bargain with the Devil, the evilness in life, to get something we really want. Thinking that it’s okay. Just this once. With our bosses. With politicians. With… Continue reading
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eight years
When I graduated last year on May 21, I had been attending college for eight years, first at Long Beach City College and then at California State University, Long Beach. I had learned a lot, even for a then-75-year-old. what… Continue reading
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Elation
On May 21, 2024, I graduated Summa Cum Laude at the age of 75 with a BA in English-Creative Writing. Happy Anniversary. It was a hell of a ride. After the long journey -arriving home-the feeling of ending and beginningof… Continue reading
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Mother Tongue
I’m so confused/ /Qué bruto.¿Por qué no hablas tu lengua materna? /How rude/ /Why don’t you speak your native language?/ When they ask me why I don’t speak Spanish/Which Spanish do you mean?/The Castillian Iberian Peninsula kind/ /When they’re not… Continue reading
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random poems
random #710excavating memories for lessonsfor explanationsfor guidancefor a reason why all of thisis what it is. for how and why i got herefor some guide totoday and tomorrowand some time in the futurewhen you/me can’t rememberanymoreor want to. random #2595we… Continue reading
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Live Poetry
“Launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month is a special occasion that celebrates poets’ integral role in our culture and that poetry matters. Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in… Continue reading
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Inside My Brain, Through My Heart
The following writing samples are the final products of free writing exercises I refer to as “Exercising Those Writing Bones.” These were part of my Theatre 389 Playwriting class during the Fall 2023 semester at CSULB. We received various prompts… Continue reading
