Another semi-recent poem about love from Mr. Single himself

Bushwhack Attraction

You better watch it, you
young ungainly son of a gun.
That emu’s got the goods on you
and at least one eye too.

Now there’s not tremendous
coordination there but the bird’s
got drive and a scandalous bite—
what did you do to offend her?

Those feathers are ruffled good,
neck extended for inspection
and legs cocked for righteous
running, gunning for a chase.

The outback’s a wild place
they say—are you tuned
to its sacred energies?
This sweltering dust-dry heat
has turned many a man sideways
for love as locals know—
Mother Nature playing ancient games
as the sun sets over desert gold.

Do yourself a favor, brother:
run top-speed from a charging emu
if your heart’s not fit for adventure;
save your sweat and flesh
for less intriguing creatures—

or hop on top if you think you can,

catch the currents of her secret life.
She’ll let you ride easy
if she respects you, throw you off
then stomp if you’re not true.

In the catching itself
there’s something—
 

for loyalty in these violent times
requires a certain earning.

Beekman Tower, NYC: Frank Gehry's tallest

Our New York City excursion this past weekend was fantastic but, as with most trips, too brief.  Next time I'm there, I'll give myself at least an entire day to explore some of the significant new highrise towers and other buildings that have gone up since my last in-depth Manhattan architecture exploration.  There will be a stop at the World Trade Center site, of course, where Tower 1 is climbing with magnificent speed, Tower 4 is well above ground, and the memorial pools and plaza are finally a tangible presence; a visit to Cooper Union's magnificent new Academic Building; the re-clad and re-purposed Museum of Arts & Design (formerly 2 Columbus Circle); and perhaps, finally, a visit to the lobby of the Hearst Magazine Tower, a prismatic Norman Foster icon hovering seemingly weightlessly above the original Art Deco podium.  Then, of course, there's Beekman Tower, the tallest building design ever realized by starchitect Frank Gehry.  I was amazed to see just how imposing and tall (76 floors) this fairly stand-alone mixed-use building is, viewed from a distance.  The familiar blindingly shiny cladding and signature Gehry language of folding, cresting, undulating forms are there on a previously unseen scale.  I wasn't sure about this thing before, but as with many buildings, the realized project is suprisingly better than even the best renderings.  Must be nice to call this behemoth home!

My first post of substance: a recent poem!

Spin

When you throw yourself down these hills,

you slide hard and roll, legs pounding

soft soil at the edge of control.

Grass stains and pain are rewards for passion,

gravity the catalyst for breathless bounding.

When funnel clouds come off hill ridges

they carve notches through forest crowns,

dance mid-air, find careful footing

before touching down again. Such studious

meandering pays off in ripened valleys

where the ground is good for churning.

Spinning buildings, billboards, solitary

swing sets—every object from boulders

to bodies wants that sweet speed

around and downward. Are you not

like them? You with your taste for danger,

your perilous charm, smart and sacred

logic—you crave to churn the world, too,

cascade down slopes toward gorges,

twist tornadoes through complacent

self-serious places to land on something

genuine. Reach down from heavy-bellied

thunderclouds to rearrange our lives

with frantic, arbitrary art—breathe

beautiful chaos into my heart, careless

love.

My little hello to the world from the new blog

Hey, everybody! Welcome to my new blog. I figured that this would be a fun way to share my thoughts, feelings, concerns, hopes, and deep perversions with the world--well, the very limited part of the world that would be interested. I doubt very sincerely that this little exercise in self-indulgence (or vanity, or earnest self-expression, or whatever you prefer to call it) will ever make important waves on this silly planet we're all stuck to, but at least it ought to be fun. I'll update it as often as I can. Enjoy! M.