Notebook Writer: poetry, music, photography and writing of Mike Marcellino
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Podcast of Notebook Writer with Mike Marcellino Sept. 1st show
Listen to the Podcast of Notebook Writer with Mike Marcellino on Blog Talk Radio with guest writers Brooke Axtell, singer songwriter & poet from Austin, TX; Liz Robbins, poet from St. Augustine, FL and Louis Bourgeois, writer, poet and founder and editor of VOX Press in Oxford, MI Share our show with your friends.
Notebook Writer with Mike Marcellino on Blog Talk Radio
Notebook Writer with Mike Marcellino on Blog Talk Radio
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Notebookwriter with Mike Marcellino Podcast Aug 4th show
Notebook Writer Show Podcast:
Tess Gerritsen, Paula Caplan, Eileen Sisk and Chris Fuller
Podcast of Notebookwriter with Mike Marcellino Aug 4th show with guest writers Tess Gerritsen ("Ice Cold," latest in Rizzoli & Isles medical thrillers, basis for new hit TNT TV series), Paula Caplan, psychologist, playwright, actor ("War and Therapy"), author Eileen Sisk ("Buck Owens: The Biography") and New York City singer songwriter Chris Fuller
Notebookwriter with Mike Marcellino Podcast
Tess Gerritsen, Paula Caplan, Eileen Sisk and Chris Fuller
Podcast of Notebookwriter with Mike Marcellino Aug 4th show with guest writers Tess Gerritsen ("Ice Cold," latest in Rizzoli & Isles medical thrillers, basis for new hit TNT TV series), Paula Caplan, psychologist, playwright, actor ("War and Therapy"), author Eileen Sisk ("Buck Owens: The Biography") and New York City singer songwriter Chris Fuller
Notebookwriter with Mike Marcellino Podcast
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Medical thriller author Tess Gerritsen joins Mike Marcellino on Notebookwriter
Bulletin: Podcast of Notebookwriter show August 4, 2010 with best selling author Tess Gerritsen, whose latest Rizzoli and Isles medical thriller is The Silent Girl. Gerritsen's books have sold 20 million copies in 30 countries. The second season of the Rizzoli and Iles hit television series on TNT starts November 28th. Though the first episode gained audience of 9 million, a cable TV record, the series has received mixed reviews.
Here's a Podcast of the show:
Listen to internet radio with Red River Radio on Blog Talk Radio
Guest writers joining Mike Marcellino on his "Notebookwriter" show on Blog Talk Radio 8-10pm EDT, Wednesday, August 4th -
Tess Gerritsen, New York Times best selling author whose Rizzoli and Iles series is the basis for the hit TNT television series that premiered in July. Her latest book, Ice Cold" was just published. Her medical and suspense thriller have sold 20 million copies worldwide.
Eileen Sisk, former award winning Washington Post designer and editor, and author of her second book, "Buck Owens: The Biography"
Paula Caplan, psychologist, author, playwright and actress, whose latest play, "War and Therapy" about the impact of the Iraq war on a woman veteran has premiered in Washington DC and Edmonton, Alberta.
Chris Fuller, New York City singer songwriter.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Podcast of the Notebook Writer show on Blog Talk Radio
Notebook Writer Show:
with guests Kelsey Waldon, Elizabeth Brown, Annie Finch, Rebecca Cantrell
Podcast of July 7th Notebook Writer with Mike Marcellino on Blog Talk Radio with guests - Kelsey Waldon, singer songwriter from Barlow KY who goes by "Anchor in the Valley;" Elizabeth Brown, writer, musician and writing teacher; Annie Finch, poet, poetry critic from Portland, ME and Rebecca Cantrell, author of the Hannah Vogel novels from Hawaii.
with guests Kelsey Waldon, Elizabeth Brown, Annie Finch, Rebecca Cantrell
Podcast of July 7th Notebook Writer with Mike Marcellino on Blog Talk Radio with guests - Kelsey Waldon, singer songwriter from Barlow KY who goes by "Anchor in the Valley;" Elizabeth Brown, writer, musician and writing teacher; Annie Finch, poet, poetry critic from Portland, ME and Rebecca Cantrell, author of the Hannah Vogel novels from Hawaii.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Notebook Writer with Mike Marcellino on Blog Talk Radio
Notebook Writer with Mike Marcellino Blog Talk Radio show 8-10pm EDT (7-9pm CDT) Wednesday, July 7th. Call 646-595-4478 (NYC area code) or listen on the Internet. If you'd like to comment on the air please call or register on Blog Talk Radio.
Mike's guests - Singer songwriter Kelsey Waldon, writer and professor of writing Elizabeth Brown, poet Annie Finch and author Rebecca Cantrell.
To listen to the Notebookwriter show click on the link below:
Notebookwriter with Mike Marcellino
Kelsey Waldon, Barlow, KY
an emerging 22-year-old singer songwriter known as "Anchor in the Valley."
Her debut CD, recorded in Nashville, is receiving rave reviews -
"Waldon’s delicate voice mixes well with the old time instrumentalization. This is not quite the Delta, and not fully the Low Plains, the music skirts all around the south while remaining fresh at each turn."
-DayBowBow-Dallas, TX
"Crystal, clear voice and unique country sound"
-Jack Montgomery - Java City - Western Kentucky University
"something as intensely artistic and moving as this record demands the attention of the world. Miss Waldon is a gifted lyricist with a voice not heard since the famed Bristol TN sessions of old."
-Andrew Sovine (Kink Ador, Electric Guitar)
Barlow is located at the very Western tip of Kentucky and is very close to both the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Waldon has been writing songs and playing guitar since she was 13. Anchor in the Valley's first album (out now) was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Phil Harris at Battle Ridge Studios in Nashville, TN and features 10 original songs written by Waldon herself. There is nothing that makes her more happy than writing a good tune.
Elizabeth Brown, Chicago
a writer, professor of writing, and musician who is the Founder and Director of both the Chicago Writers' Workshop and the soon-to-launch Los Angeles Writers' Workshop, both of which bring writing classes, workshops, and mentoring programs to adults throughout Chicago, Los Angeles, and the world. The CWW and LAWW workshops also include special programs that mentor underprivileged teens and adults in creative writing, screenwriting, and filmmaking studies.
Annie Finch, Portland, Maine
author or editor of fifteen books of poetry, translation, and criticism, including the trilogy of poetry collections Eve (1997), Calendars (2003), and Spells, and the long poems The Encyclopedia of Scotland (2002) and Among the Goddesses: An Epic Libretto in Seven Dreams (2009). Calendars was shortlisted for the Foreword Poetry Book of the Year Award, and Eve reissued in the Carnegie Mellon Classic Contemporaries series in 2010. Other honors include the 2009 Robert Fitzgerald Award and fellowships from the Black Earth Institute and the Wesleyan Writers Conference.
Finch's music, art, and theater collaborations include the opera Marina (American Opera Projects, 2003). Her work has been translated into numerous languages, and she has performed her poetry across the U.S. and Europe. Her books about poetry include A Formal Feeling Comes (2003), The Ghost of Meter (1994), An Exaltation of Forms (2003), The Body of Poetry (2004), and A Poet's Ear (2010). Finch holds degrees from Yale University, The University of Houston, and Stanford University. She currently lives in Maine where she directs Stonecoast, the low-residency MFA program at the University of Southern Maine.
Rebecca Cantrell, Hawaii
A few years ago Rebecca Cantrell quit her job, sold her house, and moved to Hawaii to write a novel because, at seven, she decided that she would be a writer. Now she writes the Hannah Vogel mystery series set in Berlin in the 1930s, including “A Trace of Smoke and the forthcoming “A Night of Long Knives.” “A Trace of Smoke” was considered by major cable networks as a television series.
A faded pink triangle pasted on the wall of Dachau Concentration Camp and time in Berlin, Germany in the 1980s inspired “A Trace of Smoke.” Fluent in German, she received her high school diploma from the John F. Kennedy Schule in Berlin and studied at the Freie Universität in Berlin and the Georg August Universität in Göttingen before graduating from Carnegie Mellon University.
When she visited Berlin in the summer of 2006, she was astounded to discover that many locations in her novel have been rebuilt and reopened in the last few years, including the gay bar El Dorado and the Mosse House publishing house.
Mike's guests - Singer songwriter Kelsey Waldon, writer and professor of writing Elizabeth Brown, poet Annie Finch and author Rebecca Cantrell.
To listen to the Notebookwriter show click on the link below:
Notebookwriter with Mike Marcellino
Kelsey Waldon, Barlow, KY
an emerging 22-year-old singer songwriter known as "Anchor in the Valley."
Her debut CD, recorded in Nashville, is receiving rave reviews -
"Waldon’s delicate voice mixes well with the old time instrumentalization. This is not quite the Delta, and not fully the Low Plains, the music skirts all around the south while remaining fresh at each turn."
-DayBowBow-Dallas, TX
"Crystal, clear voice and unique country sound"
-Jack Montgomery - Java City - Western Kentucky University
"something as intensely artistic and moving as this record demands the attention of the world. Miss Waldon is a gifted lyricist with a voice not heard since the famed Bristol TN sessions of old."
-Andrew Sovine (Kink Ador, Electric Guitar)
Barlow is located at the very Western tip of Kentucky and is very close to both the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Waldon has been writing songs and playing guitar since she was 13. Anchor in the Valley's first album (out now) was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Phil Harris at Battle Ridge Studios in Nashville, TN and features 10 original songs written by Waldon herself. There is nothing that makes her more happy than writing a good tune.
Elizabeth Brown, Chicago
a writer, professor of writing, and musician who is the Founder and Director of both the Chicago Writers' Workshop and the soon-to-launch Los Angeles Writers' Workshop, both of which bring writing classes, workshops, and mentoring programs to adults throughout Chicago, Los Angeles, and the world. The CWW and LAWW workshops also include special programs that mentor underprivileged teens and adults in creative writing, screenwriting, and filmmaking studies.
Annie Finch, Portland, Maine
author or editor of fifteen books of poetry, translation, and criticism, including the trilogy of poetry collections Eve (1997), Calendars (2003), and Spells, and the long poems The Encyclopedia of Scotland (2002) and Among the Goddesses: An Epic Libretto in Seven Dreams (2009). Calendars was shortlisted for the Foreword Poetry Book of the Year Award, and Eve reissued in the Carnegie Mellon Classic Contemporaries series in 2010. Other honors include the 2009 Robert Fitzgerald Award and fellowships from the Black Earth Institute and the Wesleyan Writers Conference.
Finch's music, art, and theater collaborations include the opera Marina (American Opera Projects, 2003). Her work has been translated into numerous languages, and she has performed her poetry across the U.S. and Europe. Her books about poetry include A Formal Feeling Comes (2003), The Ghost of Meter (1994), An Exaltation of Forms (2003), The Body of Poetry (2004), and A Poet's Ear (2010). Finch holds degrees from Yale University, The University of Houston, and Stanford University. She currently lives in Maine where she directs Stonecoast, the low-residency MFA program at the University of Southern Maine.
Rebecca Cantrell, Hawaii
A few years ago Rebecca Cantrell quit her job, sold her house, and moved to Hawaii to write a novel because, at seven, she decided that she would be a writer. Now she writes the Hannah Vogel mystery series set in Berlin in the 1930s, including “A Trace of Smoke and the forthcoming “A Night of Long Knives.” “A Trace of Smoke” was considered by major cable networks as a television series.
A faded pink triangle pasted on the wall of Dachau Concentration Camp and time in Berlin, Germany in the 1980s inspired “A Trace of Smoke.” Fluent in German, she received her high school diploma from the John F. Kennedy Schule in Berlin and studied at the Freie Universität in Berlin and the Georg August Universität in Göttingen before graduating from Carnegie Mellon University.
When she visited Berlin in the summer of 2006, she was astounded to discover that many locations in her novel have been rebuilt and reopened in the last few years, including the gay bar El Dorado and the Mosse House publishing house.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Poets Rock Gallery RIVAA, 8pm, Friday, April 9th, New York City
Mike Marcellino releases his first album, "Notebook Writer," at Poets Rock Gallery RIVAA, 8pm, Friday, April 9th at Gallery RIVAA, 527 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, New York City. Performing with Mike at the poetry and music show are Gil Fagiani, New York City poet and co-host of the open reading of the Italian American Writers Association, the longest standing poetry series at Cornelia Street Cafe, marking its 20th year in 2011. New York singer songwriters performing are Stacy Rock, accompanied by musician Randall Leddy, and Chris Fuller.
While the show is free, donations are welcome to Gallery RIVAA. Refreshments follow the show. Take the F Train to Roosevelt Island.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Alphabet Coffeehouse, a new song
"It's wonderful! Thank you for telling me about it! It reminds me very much of the East Village and that day."
– Rebecca Turner, New Jersey singer songwriter, after listening to Alphabet Coffeehouse.
Alphabet Coffeehouse
Lyrics and vocal
by Mike Marcellino
by Mike Marcellino
Music by Tomas Texino
Alphabet Coffeehouse,
“Where can it be?”
Wandering streets,
A to Z
the East Side ,
aimlessly,
late afternoon, after a show.
Red, white and blue
chipped, cracked lettered
no name circle concrete park,
bed of violet flowers
in the middle,
back lit
crimson eyed Susan ’s
no name circle concrete park.
Alphabet Coffeehouse,
“Where can it be?”
sundown of existence,
A to Z
the East Side ,
10th and C.
Only a clue,
whisper,
unknown friend, fellow traveler
searchin’ for the
Alphabet Coffeehouse
9th and C,
‘round the corner from Banjo Jim’s.
“It’s nothing,” the young man replied,
aimlessly.
“Everything is nothing here,” he said again,
“nothing” about
Alphabet Coffeehouse
“Where can it be?”
A to Z,
red, white and blue
no name circle concrete park,
flag pole,
no colors up.
“Everything is nothing here,”
echoed across
the East Side ,
middle a projects
brick, white window sills
houses of thirteen stories.
Jump rope,
rapping voices,
rollerblades,
bikes
black and brown
German Sheppard
walkin'
over a freeway
crooked overpass -
bottom of 10th,
Softball diamonds,
a dog like Sally with her master,
cars speeding, either way.
Banjo Jim ’s open.
“Listen,”
the LA country girl sings,
no cover.
Alphabet Coffeehouse, copyright by Mike Marcellino 2009
Photos of Banjo Jim's in East Village, New York City from www.banjojims.com and Rebecca Turner, singer songwriter, from her bio on www.rebeccaturner.net
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
i think that was Dylan
by Mike Marcellino
You could say I grew up with Bob Dylan, and the likes of Joan Baez, Carolyn Hester, Hamilton Camp, Buddy Holly and the Beach Boys. Though I've owned more than a dozen of his albums, the ones that most influenced me in music, my own writing and political and social views were his first three - Bob Dylan (1962), The Freewheelin Bob Dylan (1964) and The Times They Are A-Changin' (1964) and John Wesley Harding (1967).
While I have not yet recorded "i think that was Dylan" you're invited to listen to my collection of 9 new lyrical poetry song recordings. Some folks have compared my music to Dylan, though I don't sing, i talk, but then Dylan hardly does either.
Just click on this link to our Facebook music page where you may listen free, share our songs and "like" us. (or you may listen on the music player at the top of this blog)
It's hard to recall when I first listened to the folk songs of Robert Allen Zimmerman, raised in Hibbing, Minnesota, near the Mesabi Iron Range west of Lake Superior. He was the grandson of Ukrainian and Lithuanian Jews, who escaped antisemitism in the early 1900s.
I've found very few albums in which I liked every song - Freewheelin' was such an album. I liked Corina, Corina most and would listen to it over and over. The times from 1963 to 1967 in Dylan's half century music career were turbulent. I listened to Dylan around the time of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, though time stood still as we sat glued to the television in a fraternity house on the campus of Wake Forest College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I listen in my hooch at a base camp at the tip of the Viet Cong Iron Triangle stronghold northwest of Saigon in the Vietnam War.
Over the Dylan years, I've seen him in concert twice, the first probably the most memorable. It was November 12, 1965 at Music Hall in Cleveland, Ohio. Six weeks later, the day after New Year's I would leave on a train filled with Army recruits on the way to basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
Our seats were red velvet, right in the middle, not far from the front, perfect seats. I was with a very pretty blond, Cindy. I was in love with her and her sister, Gretchen. Wonderful girls, Swedish. Dylan played alone, with his guitar and harmonica, the first half of the concert. It couldn't have been better. He came on electric in the second half. You could hear a pin drop. Everyone was in shock. He had earlier been booed off the stage after three songs when he went electric at the Newport Folk Festival. I though it was cool. Still do, even though I was raised on the acoustic poet.
The second time I saw Dylan was at the concert for the opening celebration for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum on June 7, 1993. He had lost most of his voice and Dylan and the night were both electric - romping around Cleveland Municipal Stadium with my ex-wife (who looked like a female version of Dylan) and our three children with nearly 80,000 screaming rock fans. As I was on duty as an aide to the mayor, I had a seat in the sixth row for the ribbon cutting of the stunning building designed by I. M. Pei. The spot lit structure's reflection on the waters of Lake Erie at night is still a sight. Yoko Ono was there alone at the party after the ribbon cutting, John Lennon had been shot and killed December 8, 1980.
While Dylan was in Cleveland, I did try to meet with the icon, bringing some of my favorite photographs taken in the Vietnam War where I served as a combat correspondent and photojournalist. I got as far as inside the door of the recording studio he was at in an eastern suburb, but no further. I left Dylan this signed black and white photography of Army artillery forward observers with the 33rd Vietnamese Rangers on a search and destroy mission in the rice paddies.
Last year I got to thinkin' about the cover of the album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan wrote a song about some crazy days I had spent roamin' the streets of New York City and wrote a song about those times. Today on Gothamist.com I learned the story behind the cover art. Bob Dylan wanted to recreate a photo of James Dean (see the link to Gothamist story) for the cover of "Freewheelin'" released May 23 1963.
i think that was Dylan
by Mike Marcellino
i think that was Dylan,
walkin down Jones Street
girl in his arm
right in the middle of the slushy road,
right pretty too,
comin right at me,
so i ducked
down into the
alley
found sally
and wrote this piece.
"i didn't see you there,"
- went something like that
i think that was Dylan
walkin down Jones Street
trouble was the cold,
blinded me,
so i parked my car,
a cutlass i believe,
recklessly
at the first illegal spot i could find
went up to the bar
"Irish whiskey,"
i said that,
it must ta been in '65
i think that was Dylan
walkin down Jones Street
go ask Sally.
i think that was Dylan copyright by Mike Marcellino 2009
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Miss the flavor of the Sixties?
Photo from the opening of the new Root Cafe last Christmas time.
Try a cup of Phoenix coffee at the reborn "Root Cafe"
by Mike Marcellino
If you hail from, ever in, or never been to Cleveland, don't miss stopping by The Root Cafe in Lakewood, Ohio (minutes west of Public Square downtown), for a trip back to why we miss the 60s and the best coffee, camaraderie, bakery, music, poetry and food like veggie pizza. (It already has two five star reviews on yelp.com.)
I've the pleasure of knowing the proprietors Julie and Bobby, who realized their dream with hard work and help from the community. The cafe moved a couple of doors down from their Lakewood Phoenix Coffee, but the beans are still roasted right in town by Carl Jones of Phoenix Coffee, rising from the ashes of his once famed Arabica Coffee, founded on Coventry Road, Cleveland's answer to Haight-Ashbury.
While Cleveland carries shackles of such recent pop titles such as America's "most miserable city" bestowed by Forbes Magazine, don't believe it. Cleveland won that title largely due to its lake effect blizzards and corrupt politicians, aspects it shares with many of America's big northern cities.
If you doubt that unsung Cleveland's a cultural gem, stop by The Roots Cafe. Tell Julie and Bobby (and their really smart, friendly kids, Hazel & Gabriel) that Mike says hello, and misses them and the rest of what makes Cleveland special. Or, maybe we can meet there, at The Root Cafe, 15108 1/2 Detroit Ave. for their all day celebration of the spring equinox Saturday March 20th. (I once read poetry at an open mic at the old Lakewood Phoenix.)
And to see that Cleveland does have some decent public officials, stop by the office of U. S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich, just down the road. He's the guy that ran for president to set up a Department of Peace.
Copyright by Mike Marcellino 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Palin's early presidential bid slips off course again
Will the real Sarah, please stand up?
by Mike Marcellino
Ex-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, vice presidential candidate in 2008, continues to go to the gold as she lays the groundwork for a presidential run in 2012. Trouble is her apparent calculated public speeches and comments keep getting her off course and on some pretty think ice.
Only weeks ago Palin inked notes on the palm of her hand to remember to uplift people in trying to ignite the Tea Party by her speech in which she predicted flatly that the only way President Obama could get re-elected was the use what she referred to as "the war card" by declaring war on Iran. That reminded me of the late Senator Barry Goldwater saying in a speech that he might use the atomic bomb against the communists. The difference is that then presidential candidate Goldwater's statement was a candid answer to a question, while Palin's created "the war card" phrase to nail her rival with a political shot. Her shot trivializes the consequences of war and the complexity of U. S. relations with Iran, that country's nuclear program and Middle East peace.
In her latest pre-campaign episode, Palin lashed out bitterly against the makers of the latest episode of "The Family Guy," about a girl with Down syndrome with a joke about her family. Palin's song, Trig, has Down syndrome. Plan called the show's makers "cruel, cold hearted people" and accused them of "mocking her family."
Palin's criticism drew a response yesterday from actor Andrea Ray Friedman who portrays a girl with Down syndrome. Ms. Friedman matter of factly explained that she has Down syndrome and also a sense of humor.
The Arts Beat "Culture at Large blog of Dave Itzkoff in The New York Times last night's has attracted 368 comments, one from a "conservative" Frank fromTexas
The Arts Beat "Culture at Large blog of Dave Itzkoff in The New York Times last night's has attracted 368 comments, one from a "conservative" Frank from
What may be most revealing about the latest Palin episodes is they seem to reveal her real nature. Palin portrays herself as a political outsider, a female version of Joe six pack and all for regular people.
The uplifting palm notes, coining "the war card" and now blasting the liberal media, in this case an animated television comedy series raise serious questions about the true nature of Sarah Palin.
Palin's choice of words in public reveals a politician trying to win a campaign not yet begun by creating her own issues that don't match up with reality very well. The latest "Family Guy" episode belies the nation of equality and the wrong in discrimination.
I don't know about Palin, but I look at blacks and whites, people with Down syndrome, AIDS and soldiers and veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as people. Aren't we all just people after all? Isn't that equality?
When it comes to comedy, I like the kind that's funny and let's us laugh with each other, not at each other. Other than that it doesn't make any difference if your mother is the ex-governor of Alaska and a former vice presidential candidate. It's just a funny, quirky line in a television show, making fun of a politician, after all.
When you've stated publicly that you may run for president of the United States
Copyright by Mike Marcellino 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Poetry and art
Over the crow’s nest
By Mike Marcellino
When at times
you see your state
icy, lost
frozen.
Picture her at birth.
Imagine a man
with no country, alone
at sea forever.
Never to fly
Over the crow’s nest.
Copyright by Mike Marcellino Over the crow’s nest 2010
Print by Ashley Pastore
Monday, February 8, 2010
A political wild card plays the "war card"
Sarah Palin dazzles the Tea Party
by Mike Marcellino
For these two years now, I've been holding out on expressing an opinion about Sarah Palin, her brand of Alaskan politics, and run for the presidency. (In fairness some folks in her home state may not want to be included in the Palin revolution.) Now, I'm trying hard to remember her main point in the vice presidential campaign, except that she didn't like McCain "handlers."
Here's the story by John McCormick of Bloomberg on Sara Palin's speech at the Tea Party rally.
Today, it wouldn't have surprised me if Governor Palin had tattooed her palm with the words, "
What put me over the top though, wasn't trying to remember whether she needed to be "uplifting" rather than, gee, "depressing" or even "real."
What put me over the top was using "the war card" in your run for the White House. Suggesting that President Obama could be reelected only if he used "the war card" by declaring war on
Ms. Palin shows herself to be a "wild card" using the "war card" language. It's irresponsible and certainly doesn't promote a peaceful solution to
I suppose this must be part of brushing up on domestic and international affairs in endless briefings since her first appearance in the national spotlight. But, is the main thing she has learned looking through political glass that the way to win is to use "the war card"?
Look. I'm as overdosed on politics as usual on Capital Hill rather than statesmanship. But, would a Tea Party person explain why Sarah Palin is an outsider? I think most Tea Party people like Palin because she thinks so little of our President Obama.
Yes, Governor Palin, we could use a political revolution. But, going to war, isn't a card for anyone to play in political games.
Soldiers go to war, not politicians, and soldiers, their families and friends pay the price.
Whatever you do Sarah, put the "war card" rhetoric back in you desk. Sign up for a course on the Middle East/South Asia. A briefing may not work as
copyright by Mike Marcellino 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Notebook Writer with Mike Marcellino on radio
Notebook Writer with Mike Marcellino airs our fifth show on Blog Talk Radio Wednesday, Feb. 3th, 8-10pm EST. We're pleased to welcome a new member of our cast - New York City poet, spoken-word curator & educator Adela Sinclair.
Stay tuned to Mike's Blog, The Point of the Whole Thing, for Notebook Writer show lineups and updates. Our January show was among the most popular in the books category on Blog Talk Radio. Notebook Writer is the first Wednesday of every month 8-10pm EST. Notebook Writer is produced by Red River Writers Live/Robin Falls (Red River Valley, Texas).
Our next show features guest writers & performing artists: Richard Cave, musician with the popular Haitian band, Camiri, whose members survived the earthquake in Haiti; Ray McNiece, Cleveland author, performance artist, educator and Izreal Kahlid Allah of Washington DC/Mobile Al, poet activist with Blacknez Recordingz and Lola Haskins, Florida author of seven books of poetry/prose, & and the forthcoming poetry collection "Still the Mountains" (2010)
Host Mike Marcellino, a national award-winning journalist & author of The Point of the Whole Thing Networked Blog, talks with an eclectic mix of writers about writing and life, takes calls from listeners and performs his own stuff. An Army war correspondent, he first wrote poetry and prose during mortar & rocket attacks in Vietnam. He likes to surf and the film "Viva Zapata" with Marlon Brando. His new folk band is Mike Marcellino with Ensor. Mike's performed his brand of poetry folk music at clubs & coffeehouses in New York City, Cleveland, Tulsa, Baltimore and St. Augustine, Fl.
Co-host Natalie Bliss, a poet, writer and artist from Auckland, New Zealand, likes Leonard Cohen, animals, rugby and teaches grade school kids art.
Just joining the Notebook Writer Show crew as assistant producer is Adela Sinclair, a New York City poet, educator, spoken-word curator, performer and blogger. Member of the Madison Poets, Gallery RIVAA, PSA and PEN America. She holds a Masters Degree in TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) and is a NYC Department of Education ESL teacher. Organizer of poetry readings at Gallery RIVAA, FALL FOR ARTS Festival, Salmagundi Art Club. She enjoys setting poetry readings against the backdrop of paintings, sculptures, and photographs.
The show airs from 7-9pm CST (8-10pm EST). Show call in number is 646-595-4478 or you may listen (or register to be on the air) on the show's Blog Talk Radio website. The show is also archived and Podcast.
Link for the upcoming show -
Notebook Writer with Mike Marcellino
To listen to four previous shows search On Demand shows October 2009 through January 2010
Robin Falls (producer) on Blog Talk Radio
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Haitian poetry song
Demele, it’s told
By Mike Marcellino
Reality is French Creole.
Demele, it’s told
Managing up on the ground,
down, once sold
Being bold
No longer doing what you’re told.
Reality is in French Creole
Demele, it’s told
Earthquake
Debate
Being late
Defying all odds
peas in a pod
in the face of suffering.
Reality is in French Creole
Demele, it’s told
Heartbreak
Getting up. Always
Waking in a fluster,
passing muster in a world ready to explode
Keeping hope
insight.
Reality is in French Creole
Demele, it’s told
Disentangle.
Carry on
(in Middle English)
Revolutionaries in quarrel,
wear outlaw labels.
Demele, it’s told, copyright 2010 by Mike Marcellino
By Mike Marcellino
Reality is French Creole.
Demele, it’s told
Managing up on the ground,
down, once sold
Being bold
No longer doing what you’re told.
Reality is in French Creole
Demele, it’s told
Earthquake
Debate
Being late
Defying all odds
peas in a pod
in the face of suffering.
Reality is in French Creole
Demele, it’s told
Heartbreak
Getting up. Always
Waking in a fluster,
passing muster in a world ready to explode
Keeping hope
insight.
Reality is in French Creole
Demele, it’s told
Disentangle.
Carry on
(in Middle English)
Revolutionaries in quarrel,
wear outlaw labels.
Demele, it’s told, copyright 2010 by Mike Marcellino
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
A week after the Haiti earthquake the debate continues: Who should be in charge of the disaster response?
Time is still running out in Haiti
by Mike Marcellino
Note: One January 14, two days after the earthquake struck Haiti, in a commentary, Mike Marcellino reasoned the the U. S. military was best suited to take charge of the disaster response. Today, the United Nations and what's left of the Haitian government remain in charge.
Seven days after an earthquake struck Haiti, the question of who is (or should be) in charge of the disaster response is still debated. U. S. Marines who landed five days ago asked the same question.
A retried U. S. Army general on PBS Newshour tonight said the U. S. military should take charge as it's self contained and able to address all the challenges from medial treatment to security. They are also ready and near Haiti.
A retired bureaucrat with USAID (United States Agency for International Development) thinks the United Nations can do the job once coordination is in place.
At this point, the only thing for certain is who is not in charge.
The military isn't, apparently to avoid looking like a U. S. takeover of Haiti.
FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) isn't. The U. S. agency responsible for domestic disaster response and should have learned some lessons form Hurricane Katrina. FEMA is expert in immediate reponse, such as USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) and making progress out of chaos. FEMA refers all reporters' questions to USAID.
USAID, which falls under the U. S. State Department, is the U. S. agency in authority, but it doesn't provide immediate disaster response itself, only coordinates and provides material aid and expertise.
Even though disaster experts say the first 72 hours is critical to saving lives and preventing greater secondary health issues, the United Nations and a Haitian government in collapse remain in charge.
Today, critics and the media continue raise question, such as, why planeloads of medical teams and supplies of Doctors without Boarders continue to diverted from landing in the Haiti airport controlled by the U. S. military.
One thing certain is Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and it was devastated by an earthquake, leaving 200,000 or more dead, 3.5 million homeless and Port-au-Prince in shambles with chaos and violence in the streets.
Mike Marcellino is a two-time national award winning journalist. He also served as a U. S. Army combat correspondent in the Vietnam War and worked as a Congressional staff member on international human rights issues affecting Soviet Jews and the people of Taiwan.
copyright by Mike Marcellino 2010
by Mike Marcellino
Note: One January 14, two days after the earthquake struck Haiti, in a commentary, Mike Marcellino reasoned the the U. S. military was best suited to take charge of the disaster response. Today, the United Nations and what's left of the Haitian government remain in charge.
Seven days after an earthquake struck Haiti, the question of who is (or should be) in charge of the disaster response is still debated. U. S. Marines who landed five days ago asked the same question.
A retried U. S. Army general on PBS Newshour tonight said the U. S. military should take charge as it's self contained and able to address all the challenges from medial treatment to security. They are also ready and near Haiti.
A retired bureaucrat with USAID (United States Agency for International Development) thinks the United Nations can do the job once coordination is in place.
At this point, the only thing for certain is who is not in charge.
The military isn't, apparently to avoid looking like a U. S. takeover of Haiti.
FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) isn't. The U. S. agency responsible for domestic disaster response and should have learned some lessons form Hurricane Katrina. FEMA is expert in immediate reponse, such as USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) and making progress out of chaos. FEMA refers all reporters' questions to USAID.
USAID, which falls under the U. S. State Department, is the U. S. agency in authority, but it doesn't provide immediate disaster response itself, only coordinates and provides material aid and expertise.
Even though disaster experts say the first 72 hours is critical to saving lives and preventing greater secondary health issues, the United Nations and a Haitian government in collapse remain in charge.
Today, critics and the media continue raise question, such as, why planeloads of medical teams and supplies of Doctors without Boarders continue to diverted from landing in the Haiti airport controlled by the U. S. military.
One thing certain is Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and it was devastated by an earthquake, leaving 200,000 or more dead, 3.5 million homeless and Port-au-Prince in shambles with chaos and violence in the streets.
Mike Marcellino is a two-time national award winning journalist. He also served as a U. S. Army combat correspondent in the Vietnam War and worked as a Congressional staff member on international human rights issues affecting Soviet Jews and the people of Taiwan.
copyright by Mike Marcellino 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Time is running out for Haiti
Crisis in Haiti: An analysis of the earthquake aftermath
by Mike Marcellino
Mike Marcellino is a two-time national award winning journalist and served as a US Army combat correspondent in the Vietnam War. He also worked as a Congressional staff member focusing on international human rights, community issues and veterans health care.
Is Haiti on the edge of collapse?
Does anyone know the true extent of the disaster and the threats it imposes?
Based on the latest news reports, it appears some capable organization must take control of Haiti to avoid catastrophe.
Conditions are chaotic. Time is running out to save people in the rubble, provide medical supplies and personnel to treat victims and prevent lawlessness to go out of control.
The U. S. military would seem to be the only organization capable of addressing the situation in time to avoid unnecessary death and a total collapse of the society in Haiti. Perhaps, the Haitian government could allow the U. S. military temporary authority for a period of time to allow stability and some improvement in conditions.
Yet, President Obama doesn't appear to be moving in that direction. Perhaps he will after Secretary of State Clinton reports on conditions on the ground in Haiti.
This story filed an hour ago by James Reinl, foreign correspondent for The National (United Arab Emirates) with AP and Agence France Press best captures the urgency of the situation in Haiti, and the chaos on the ground there.
Here are some excerpts -
“We have now used up all of the medical supplies from NGOs based in Haiti. We haven’t yet received anything from the internationals. I know they are at the airport, but there is no distribution yet." (director, Port au Prince General Hospital)
“This is chaos. I’ve been to all the disasters in the world: Myanmar, Pakistan, Iran, India. They were organised much better – there is no organisation here,” said Luc Beaucourt, part of a field medics’ team from the Belgian charity V-Med. “Everything is destroyed. The government. There is no military.”
“This is a historic disaster. We have never been confronted with such a disaster in the UN memory. It is like no other,” Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told AFP in Geneva.
To read the entire story posted on the Internet by The National click the link below.
Battle for life amid stench of death
Copyright Mike Marcellino 2010
by Mike Marcellino
Mike Marcellino is a two-time national award winning journalist and served as a US Army combat correspondent in the Vietnam War. He also worked as a Congressional staff member focusing on international human rights, community issues and veterans health care.
Is Haiti on the edge of collapse?
Does anyone know the true extent of the disaster and the threats it imposes?
Based on the latest news reports, it appears some capable organization must take control of Haiti to avoid catastrophe.
Conditions are chaotic. Time is running out to save people in the rubble, provide medical supplies and personnel to treat victims and prevent lawlessness to go out of control.
The U. S. military would seem to be the only organization capable of addressing the situation in time to avoid unnecessary death and a total collapse of the society in Haiti. Perhaps, the Haitian government could allow the U. S. military temporary authority for a period of time to allow stability and some improvement in conditions.
Yet, President Obama doesn't appear to be moving in that direction. Perhaps he will after Secretary of State Clinton reports on conditions on the ground in Haiti.
This story filed an hour ago by James Reinl, foreign correspondent for The National (United Arab Emirates) with AP and Agence France Press best captures the urgency of the situation in Haiti, and the chaos on the ground there.
Here are some excerpts -
“We have now used up all of the medical supplies from NGOs based in Haiti. We haven’t yet received anything from the internationals. I know they are at the airport, but there is no distribution yet." (director, Port au Prince General Hospital)
“This is chaos. I’ve been to all the disasters in the world: Myanmar, Pakistan, Iran, India. They were organised much better – there is no organisation here,” said Luc Beaucourt, part of a field medics’ team from the Belgian charity V-Med. “Everything is destroyed. The government. There is no military.”
“This is a historic disaster. We have never been confronted with such a disaster in the UN memory. It is like no other,” Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told AFP in Geneva.
To read the entire story posted on the Internet by The National click the link below.
Battle for life amid stench of death
Copyright Mike Marcellino 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
A song of the Haitian spirit in "Flatbush," story of a homeland tragedy
Earthquake and America in Haiti
Saving lives and a nation
by Mike Marcellino
In the aftermath of the earthquake, President Obama is acting swiftly to bring critically needed aid to Haiti.
But, with this massive natural disaster, the president has inherited a dismal American record in the world's first black republic created by former slaves. The legacy includes occupation, rejection of political refugees and neglect in nation building in the world's first black republic, less than 700 miles from Miami.
Haiti lies in ruins with estimates of 250,000 or more dead.
Does the U. S. and United Nations grasp the enormity of the situation? After 72 hours without water, food and medical attention, the survivors will start dying, according to experts. In addition to reaching people trapped in rubble in Port-au-Prince, other cities, like coastal town of Jacmel, are isolated as roads have collapsed.
Military officials have already ruled out air drops of supplies citing concerns of causing chaos and violence, though 10,000 U. S. troops will be in Haiti or off the coast by Monday.
While all human disasters are equally tragic and disturbing, this one hit me personally as I recently spent time living Flatbush, Brooklyn, one of the largest Haitian American communities.
This working and middle class neighborhood is majority West Indian, especially Haitian. They live in a flat plain founded in the 16th century by the Dutch whose graves remain, though faceless, outside a church filled with Haitians, who still practice voodoo.
Dutch graves in a cemetery outside a church in Flatbush, one of the largest Haitian communities in the U. S. photo by Mike Marcellino
Walking my friends' white dog around the block, going to the supermarket, buying some meat pies, getting to the train station or just wandering, I was struck by the kind, respectful and happy nature of my Haitian neighbors. I rarely saw another white person, yet never felt like a minority.
The spirit and nature of Haitians and others from countries like Grenada, Trinidad and Jamaica inspired a song I wrote and recorded simply called "Flatbush." Now I feel my friends are in trouble and need help.
(If you wish, you may listen to the recording "Flatbush" on the music player on top of this blog)
Haitians will survive, you can feel it. They have "demele, " a Creole word that means "to manage life in the face of hardship."
Haitians overcame slavery and founded the world's first black republic in1804. They have survived dictators, being turned back by the U. S. Navy in their boats seeking political refuge, abject poverty (Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere) and hurricanes.
The outpouring by the American people and organizations is encouraging. You can even donate $10 automatically by texting the Red Cross on your cell phone. Folks in Miami are appealing on Facebook for volunteers to load supplies for Haiti. A benefit concert, "Hope for Haiti," is already planned.
The sight of American troops on the ground in Haiti and a aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is America at its best. Will we act quickly enough, or will get bogged down by red tape and the lack of imagination?
This disaster may have a silver lining if it serves as wake up call for the U. S. to stay the course in Haiti.
The U. S. controlled Haiti for nearly two decades ending in 1934. Marine Corps commanders governed the provinces. More than 2,000 Haitians died in a revolt crushed by U. S. forces in 1918. Marines killed 10 Haitians protesting economic conditions in 1929.
Before the U. S. departure, a commission appointed by President Hoover, recognized material improvements during the occupation, but pointed out that Haitians were excluded from decision making in the process. The commission concluded:
"The social forces that created [instability] still remain--poverty, ignorance, and the lack of a tradition or desire for orderly free government."
A bad example of helping build a free and prosperous nation.
The New York Times Friday, published a debate among Haiti experts, "Is the U. S. Doing Enough for Haiti?" In the article, University of Chicago professor Greg Beckett makes a case for "a long term commitment for durable change."
Beckett, a Harper Fellow in social sciences studying the environmental, urban and political crisis in Port au Prince, further states -
"The U.S. has a long, strained relationship with Haiti, and more than any other country it has a political responsibility to lead efforts to rebuild the country. In the past, the U.S. has occupied and administered Haiti, given support and financial assistance to governments, trained the military, led stabilization missions and shaped economic policy.
"The occupation of 1915-1934 centralized military and political authority in Port-au-Prince, but left little in the form of infrastructural improvement. Economic policies have left Haiti dependent and persistently poor. Aid initiatives have bypassed the government and contributed to the weakening of state and social institutions."
Today, despite of the United Nations' peace keeping force of 8,000 troops and the presence of 10,000 humanitarian workers, Haitian mothers still commonly make "dirt cookies" for their children to eat. They can't afford food.
Yet, the Haitian spirit endures. Haitians still pound shape beautiful metal art from recycled steel drums. Now they wonder whether any buyers will be able to reach them in the devastation.
When the Marines open the roads again, let's hope the United States gets nation building in Haiti right this time.
The fate of rebuilding Haiti lies with America's first president of color. But for now President Obama has a more pressing question to answer. The Marines have landed in Haiti and they are asking, "Who's in charge." (source, Christian Science Monitor, Jan, 14, 2010)
copyright Mike Marcellino 2010
Saving lives and a nation
by Mike Marcellino
In the aftermath of the earthquake, President Obama is acting swiftly to bring critically needed aid to Haiti.
But, with this massive natural disaster, the president has inherited a dismal American record in the world's first black republic created by former slaves. The legacy includes occupation, rejection of political refugees and neglect in nation building in the world's first black republic, less than 700 miles from Miami.
Haiti lies in ruins with estimates of 250,000 or more dead.
Does the U. S. and United Nations grasp the enormity of the situation? After 72 hours without water, food and medical attention, the survivors will start dying, according to experts. In addition to reaching people trapped in rubble in Port-au-Prince, other cities, like coastal town of Jacmel, are isolated as roads have collapsed.
Military officials have already ruled out air drops of supplies citing concerns of causing chaos and violence, though 10,000 U. S. troops will be in Haiti or off the coast by Monday.
While all human disasters are equally tragic and disturbing, this one hit me personally as I recently spent time living Flatbush, Brooklyn, one of the largest Haitian American communities.
This working and middle class neighborhood is majority West Indian, especially Haitian. They live in a flat plain founded in the 16th century by the Dutch whose graves remain, though faceless, outside a church filled with Haitians, who still practice voodoo.
Walking my friends' white dog around the block, going to the supermarket, buying some meat pies, getting to the train station or just wandering, I was struck by the kind, respectful and happy nature of my Haitian neighbors. I rarely saw another white person, yet never felt like a minority.
The spirit and nature of Haitians and others from countries like Grenada, Trinidad and Jamaica inspired a song I wrote and recorded simply called "Flatbush." Now I feel my friends are in trouble and need help.
(If you wish, you may listen to the recording "Flatbush" on the music player on top of this blog)
Haitians will survive, you can feel it. They have "demele, " a Creole word that means "to manage life in the face of hardship."
Haitians overcame slavery and founded the world's first black republic in1804. They have survived dictators, being turned back by the U. S. Navy in their boats seeking political refuge, abject poverty (Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere) and hurricanes.
The outpouring by the American people and organizations is encouraging. You can even donate $10 automatically by texting the Red Cross on your cell phone. Folks in Miami are appealing on Facebook for volunteers to load supplies for Haiti. A benefit concert, "Hope for Haiti," is already planned.
The sight of American troops on the ground in Haiti and a aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is America at its best. Will we act quickly enough, or will get bogged down by red tape and the lack of imagination?
This disaster may have a silver lining if it serves as wake up call for the U. S. to stay the course in Haiti.
The U. S. controlled Haiti for nearly two decades ending in 1934. Marine Corps commanders governed the provinces. More than 2,000 Haitians died in a revolt crushed by U. S. forces in 1918. Marines killed 10 Haitians protesting economic conditions in 1929.
Before the U. S. departure, a commission appointed by President Hoover, recognized material improvements during the occupation, but pointed out that Haitians were excluded from decision making in the process. The commission concluded:
"The social forces that created [instability] still remain--poverty, ignorance, and the lack of a tradition or desire for orderly free government."
A bad example of helping build a free and prosperous nation.
The New York Times Friday, published a debate among Haiti experts, "Is the U. S. Doing Enough for Haiti?" In the article, University of Chicago professor Greg Beckett makes a case for "a long term commitment for durable change."
Beckett, a Harper Fellow in social sciences studying the environmental, urban and political crisis in Port au Prince, further states -
"The U.S. has a long, strained relationship with Haiti, and more than any other country it has a political responsibility to lead efforts to rebuild the country. In the past, the U.S. has occupied and administered Haiti, given support and financial assistance to governments, trained the military, led stabilization missions and shaped economic policy.
"The occupation of 1915-1934 centralized military and political authority in Port-au-Prince, but left little in the form of infrastructural improvement. Economic policies have left Haiti dependent and persistently poor. Aid initiatives have bypassed the government and contributed to the weakening of state and social institutions."
Today, despite of the United Nations' peace keeping force of 8,000 troops and the presence of 10,000 humanitarian workers, Haitian mothers still commonly make "dirt cookies" for their children to eat. They can't afford food.
Yet, the Haitian spirit endures. Haitians still pound shape beautiful metal art from recycled steel drums. Now they wonder whether any buyers will be able to reach them in the devastation.
When the Marines open the roads again, let's hope the United States gets nation building in Haiti right this time.
The fate of rebuilding Haiti lies with America's first president of color. But for now President Obama has a more pressing question to answer. The Marines have landed in Haiti and they are asking, "Who's in charge." (source, Christian Science Monitor, Jan, 14, 2010)
copyright Mike Marcellino 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
"The Walls of Fire" a recording, poem and photostory by Mike Marcellino
The walls of fire
By Mike Marcellino
The walls of fire
grow higher, higher
pools of blood
carnage
bodies of brothers
touching
rock cliffs and open fields -
Hornet’s Nest at Shiloh
Devil’s Den, Gettysburg.
The walls of fire
grow higher, higher
pools of blood
carnage
bodies of brothers
touching
sea to shining sea -
lost in the Argonne Forest
face down on beaches at Normandy
frozen by the waters of Chosin Reservoir.
The walls of fire
grow higher, higher
pools of blood
carnage
bodies of brothers
touching
paddies, highlands -
Nui Ba Dinh, the Black Virgin Mountain
the Ashau Valley
along the perimeter of Khe Sanh.
The walls of fire
grow higher, higher
pools of blood, carnage
bodies of brothers
touching
empty deserts
filled with giant rising suns -
Fallujah rooftops
unknown streets of Sadr City
barren mountains, caves of Tora Bora.
The walls of fire
grow higher, still higher
pools of blood
carnage
bodies of brothers
touching.
The walls of fire copyright by Mike Marcellino 2009
(top) "My Girls" (right) "Oriental River" and (below) "Search and Destory"
Mike served in the US Army as a combat correspondent and photojournalist in the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1968.
He recorded "The Walls of Fire" as the folk band's fourth poetry song in November 2009. Mike is songwriter and vocalist and Tomas Texino composed the music.
You may listen to the recording of "The Walls of Fire" on the music player here or visit our band site at ReverbNation. You've invited to be a follower of Mike's blog, "The Point of the Whole Thing" and a fan of the band on ReverbNation and the band's Facebook page.
Mike Marcellino on ReverbNation
Mike Marcellino on Facebook
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
"Flatbush," a song of Brooklyn
Stones of Dutch soldiers, Flatbush
photo by mike marcellino copyright 2009
Flatbush
by mike marcellino
Flew into New York
on the wings of Peter Pan.
Flew into New York
on the wings of Babylon.
A perfect trip, eleven minutes late.
Coastal Jersey the same,
belching chemicals and oil,
industrial desolation
in the boot deep down.
Flew into New York
on the wings of Peter Pan.
Flew into New York
on the wings of Babylon.
On the heels of Jupiter,
not a bad act to follow
on the right a Santa Anna’s
banner,
lighter green an' red, white
tricolor,
blazoned to the fire escape
of a third floor, dirty red brick
tenement,
a place of West Indians,
Flatbush,
a perfect spot for Jimmy Cliff.
Mariachi band fills the air
Saturdays.
Flew into New York
on the wings of Peter Pan.
Flew into New York
on the wings of Babylon.
Soft good mornings in English,
more likely Patois
from darkened skins
standin' outside temples
ol' ladies an' gentlemen
takin’ numbers outside
for dinner
in a church
a redemption,
after
a revolution
into
a resurrection.
Flew into New York
on the wings of Peter Pan.
Flew into New York
on the wings of Babylon.
Walkin' on grave stones
a 17th Century soldiers'
worn blank
in this once
'Vlacke bos'
Dutch land plain.
Flew into New York
on the wings of Peter Pan.
Flew into New York
on the wings of Babylon.
Jupiter on the right now,
not as bright
on this clear
and quiet night.
Flatbush,copyright by mike marcellino 2009
You may listen to the recording of "Flatbush" by folk band Mike Marcellino on our ReverbNation music site or on the music box at the top of this blog.
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