The Ocean at 6:45 on July 12, 2014

When I was a child there were seahorses in the waters of this beach and my family use to bring me often, as I got older I stopped seeing them completely. Back then there were no homeless people sleeping on the beach, maybe there were but not in the numbers that there is now. It is overpopulation and people that don’t fit in. The retired Jewish population lived on the back when I was a child and the art deco hotels was abandoned and dilapidated. The ocean seemed near the hotels. I had heard that the ocean met the hotels at the 40’s when the art deco hotels were at their heights, back then one saw multitudes of seahorses, but I wouldn’t know---I met this ocean decades later, and a decade later the sea life was totally gone. So here is the ocean at 6:45—enjoy…it was a beautiful morning. I wasn’t on the beach all day but just thirty minutes. I named this blog after those seahorses. 

Rare Recording Made Possible...

Can't wait to head to the beach but have school and work, going finally to get cool, some Scelsi clarinet that I greatly enjoy... I like a lot solo instruments, but vocals are generally what people like. It wasn't that long ago that one couldn't find recording of 20th century composers, on the net. I was lucky I lived in a near a library that had these very used up classical recordings and that helped greatly. I started working at fourteen in the classical department of a music store so I was exposed to a great deal. My parents bought me an encyclopedia but they kept giving me more of them for you know how bulky that can be.I raced back and forth spending hours with new discoveries. I have only heard two Webern works and here is one i never heard, Webern Symphony Op. 21, a very quiet nice music. The more they add the more is filled with wonder of all the great arts available to us. They will never play this music on the radio here, made more for very popular easy listening classical.

There is nothing ahead by Rumi

Lovers think they are looking for each other,

but there is only one search.

Wandering this world is wandering that,

both inside one transparent sky.

In here there is no dogma and no heresy.

the miracle of Jesus is himself,

not what he said or did about the future.

Forget the future.

I would worship someone who could do that.

On the way you may what to look back, or not,

but if you say, there is nothing ahead,

there will be nothing there.

Stretch your arms,

and take hold of the cloth of  your clothes with both hands.

The cure for pain is in the pain.

Good and bad are mixed.

If you don’t have both you don’t have us.

When one of us gets lost,

he must be inside of us.

There is no place like that anywhere in the world.

Rumi

trans by Coleman Barks from Big Red Book

End of the Day

Beautiful morning that was all deep grey the whole day. They were playing this Bax viola sonata. There has been no sign of the sun for a few days and not much rain. The meal has been eaten and cleaned as usual. Aurora I been hearing much her piano playing from upstairs she has a lovely sound. It is a mesmerizing sound that fits well with the evening. One sometimes hear her in the morning. I don't know how she does it being twice as old as I am. She retired from teaching piano in Chicago, IL, where my uncle worked, and owned a store. She remembers how my uncle loved Mahler and the old 78 that he had, and threw them out to the thrift stores(never seen anything like them). He was in the Korean war in the Navy and his buddies were killed in the ship. It is another night of listening to Aurora play those beautiful melodies from her upstairs room.

Vuela a me dolce hogar

Todo el placer y el horror de la vida tienen un significado para aprender. Cuando yo era joven, fui al hotel que trabajó mi padre y no me gusta ir allí. Mi casa estaba limpia, ya sabes cómo pueden ser los hoteles? Pero me acuerdo de la diversión que tuvimos durante un enorme paso del huracán... Luego otra vez había olas violentas contra las paredes y como niños de once años estúpidos nos golpeó olas y terminó en aguas profundas peligrosas. Había seis de nosotros riendo de distancia... a través de las olas. Más tarde lo que recuerdo como un adolescentes que trabajan sólo por las propinas pero terminé viendo geishas en la televisión, había muchas habitaciones libres.  Entonces yo estaba fuera por el océano justo en el balcón con vistas a las aguas. Sonó el teléfono de la terraza del patio, me quité en la noche oscura, el coche mágico amarillo vuela a mí me dulce hogar....

Key Biscayne with Fountain Pen

There is nothing that I love more, besides playing music or visiting natural reserves and the sea of course, than writing with my fountain pens. In this instance I bring my cheap collection of plastics Lamys that I bough at the art store. I use to paint and draw and mostly I loved doing watercolours. There was a period of my life that I wasn't doing music, though that is hard to believe, and I had plenty of time in college doing my essays and art. I lived in a very colourful nature filled area -- that has disappeared. And even further back it was even more incredible but people have little idea of what they lost to silly overcrowding. I bring my pens with books and write for hours and walk the surf. If I go with someone I usually don't bring those things, so there is a good thing to being alone and being with company too. I love Key Biscayne that is very near. I use to work in that area too, but it definitely was better back then. I never brought an instrument though I have thought of bring a ukulele all my instruments are expensive and haven't fixed the less expensive ones. What I come back home is great poetry and one can look at it, rewrite it, but it is always fun like a moment photograph of that experience. (The picture was a few weeks ago when I was last there.) 

Happened a Decade Ago...

This happened a decade ago. Glad that I learnt from it and never have to go back to it this kind of job ever! It gradually became worse so it wasn’t too bad at the beginning. I did delivery of a very expensive gourmet store. At the beginning it was people birthday parties and and it didn’t go higher than five hundred dollars and there was a tip. But then at the end-- that is why I left I delivered to Carnival Cruises owner where they lived in Doral and moved to Tahiti Beach a more exclusive place. I delivered to Bacardi the liquor business and to a computer store and the person house of Tiger Direct, all these places two dozen times. I delivered thousands of dollars, the higher the amount was the more they never would tip, not a thing. Discover Channel not so much. The one that was excellent was Sandals Resort they knew how to tip the amount one is supposed to get. I will never do business with the evil tip less bastards. The owners of the store knew correctly that we suppose to get tipped just like waiters or delivery pizza people. It usually was the more bigger the business the less they would tip. I met all the owners of those mentioned businesses. One could never make a living out of this so gladly I left, there were people living in their cars that worked there for they were from another state. The one’s that lived here lived six to a flat like if this was a Chinese clothing factory, but yes we were in the USA. Yet, there was very kindly old ladies when I delivered Christmas foods with my son (gladly he came with me on many trips) and a Greek gentleman (at the Hermitage) that knew the exact amount for an eight hundred party platters. Bless his soul, the house was full of women, none his wife, he said he would never marry, for he had a bad experience.  Carnival Cruises, Tiger Direct and Bacardi very bad…. yet the per cent of the good was like 1%!   

The Doctor's Office

11/4/13

The other day I brought someone to the doctor and quickly I met this lady who said, “it is amazing that you are reading from a book, I don’t see that any more, if anyone reads it from machines.”

                “I buy my books in Ebay or the thrift store, but the thrift store I don’t know what surprise I am going to get.”

                The lady brought up Lincoln Mall, maybe because she had her girlfriend beside her. 

                “I like going to Lincoln a lot,” didn’t tell her how much I like the rest around it even more.

                “I remember Lincoln in the 60’s.”

                Wow, I thought this lady is very old but she looks young, maybe because of her dyed hair.

                “I was in Lincoln in the 80’s but I don’t think there isn’t many stores of back then now, everything is new.”

                “No there are a few old stores like the one that sells ties.”

                Then she talked to me about Nat King Cole and the 40’s and I was freaked out that she could be that old. Her girlfriend said, don’t worry she is 57. All this time she was in an oxygen machine breathing in and out and the valve could be heard. I asked her what she had, did she smoke?”

                “No, I have Alpha l a rare disease.”

                “Do you get to the point that you can’t breathe at all?”

                “Yes, it gets very bad.”

                She for some reason brought up the Bolero(1928)of Ravel and said that was ancient music. I thought to myself silently that isn’t that old. I told her that I was into classical. She said that was great. She loved Brahms. Both went inside the doctor’s(gynaecologists)office.    

Small Music Stores

There were plenty of small music stores when I was in high school. It was difficult to get a saxophone in the school band, the music class didn’t have any. I lived in Miami Springs and there was a music store called Carroll Music and rented my first one. I think it was a Bundy, then when I got a job I bought an American made Buescher in mint condition from the 60’s, the person never played it and I was very lucky. Actually my first instrument as 12 yr. old was an acoustic guitar but I learnt to play sax and read music before it. Before sax I was a bass and alto clarinet player -- those they had in the band. I was very impressed my first appearance in middle school of the giant bari-saxes and I told the teacher what happened to them when they quickly left. He said they had graduated to senior high, but they owned their own bari-sax. The small music stores closed up, both owners died of cancer. Before that happened they moved where I lived too unknowingly, went there dozens of times. They had no children so they left the store property to the young man that was their employee, but he sold it to a developer of the mall when business got bad. In 2012 I bought a soprano sax in Feb. That was the how the year began. In 2000 exactly I bought my first electric guitar, then I bought a few, and got deeply into guitars too. It is very sad how conglomerates eat up all the small business. I work in a vegan cafe and in Feb. they are going to level it, destroy the whole mall, which has a 50's diner at the front to give way to the new conglomerate business that have taken over everything, unless you are lucky to live in the woods somewhere.    

Autumn is my favorite season

No, matter what anyone says Autumn is my favorite season, just the right coolness, love the transitory nature and plenty of pumpkins which I buy so often all through out the year. One doesn't suffer such intense heat. One starts back school which I love. One still visits the beach with way much coolness. I was born in the season of Autumn.

Returning Autumn

Kathleen Raine 1908-2003


All creatures passionate for grace

Quest their desire through the groves and seas

That flesh may win a human face,

And pain be crowned with holiness.



And lovers out of present days

Float back upon the body’s dream

Of a green branch that drips and sways,

Caught in the current of a stream

Autumn

Kathleen Raine



Leaf-FALL,

And the long –for missed again

Between the coming and the gone;

Yet, in the tree’s thinning leaves crown

In this faded year-worn scrawl,

Blade’s blot, bare stoke of petiole

Wind-tattered on the ragged sky

Stands ciphered still.



Oval Portrait 1977

Ukulele is the trend

I have seen lots of girls playing ukulele there at the mall or especially in school. If the instrument seems unique I give it a try. Maybe this place one day will be like Hawaii? well not too much, but the ukulele is a great small instrument and you can bring it anywhere especially in travel even smaller than the mandolin, I hope this trend continues: makes me inspired to play mine!

My recent new Christmas Laptop!

I’m certainly new in the computer. I just got my own large computer yesterday when I installed WIFI. I don’t like using it for it doesn’t have sound. I bought a small mini-lap top HP when I started school and by the end of the first year didn’t like it much for the Office was too small. I saw a 14 inch HP last Christmas for $450, a great price, and bought it and am extremely happy. I didn’t get it earlier because I am more interested in playing guitar and was into buying a new laptop. I love this place. Have a great weekend… By the way I posted this here first because I started another blog in Blogger when I started school, want to get feedback. I heard that nobody reads blogs and I can understand why, there are many fun things to do in life, eventually I will post every thing whether or not any one reads it!

Abrir a la Slendour

Los días son muy calurosos y secos, no hay lluvia. Uno escucha a los grandes compositores, de la estación clásica se reproduce la música cada vez más banales, una música fácil de escuchar para complacer a la gente. Sin embargo, he oído que hay estaciones que tocan música más progresiva, (se sabe que con seguridad en Internet) Siempre ha sido malo en las estaciones de radio ni siquiera se oía una completa sinfonía de Beethoven, no importa que Ives no se oirá más aquí, a excepción de una pieza vocal y piano. El calor es tan increíble y ahora el humo de la quema de los Everglades que no tienen agua. La gente debería tener más cuidado la protección y amantes de la naturaleza. Deben pasar más tiempo al aire libre y leer, cantar, que no debe pasar perdiendo sus vidas en cosas innecesarias. Las cosas innecesarias que consume, en lugar de abrir a la slendour a su alrededor.

Las Musica de estos dias

La música en estos días ha sido en gran medida por abaratar los valores comerciales como ningún otro período de la historia. Los valores de las personas ha ido muy baja, porque no se les enseña a valorar muchos instrumentos. Para la historia de valor de la música, no sólo del mundo occidental, pero las culturas del mundo. El valor de los instrumentos no se respetan los que sólo en el jazz tradicional o clásica o el rock progresivo se trajeron a un buen estado, para la música más popular es estéril de instrumentos mucho más. Vivimos en un mundo multicultural y por tanto de la música y todas las artes que miran. Similar es la religión, no hay manera de salir de ella, para vivir en el mundo moderno es ser multicultural.

Child of the Moment

Child of the moment gleaming from no where?
From what wonder star galaxy bright swirling
the dim earth that sadly sells for a thin dime.
The coffin box there lies for all to see, but people
just past it by hungry for strange wailing ghost with toys.
Where do you come from and where are you going?
Did you know the grey showers outside are gleaming
in sad rivers going no where but the boisterous sea.
Child of the moment gleaming green from no where,
the melody pours forth so refined disappearing to the space.
A boy eleven with his instrument by an old church
playing much better than a professional on Easter Eve
as birds listened fascinated while others drifted to work.
The church was ringing its bells tirelessly through the air,
as the boats of the Miami River came to their old piers,
the children were playing under the palms, as an old
bearded painted sat his hours to his easel in drizzling rain.
Later, Michio, a Japanese guy with sarong and tank top
and a flowing beard playing his shakuhachi and drum
~isn’t this what they loved, instead of so much television?
The ocean was out there, as people suntanned,
but the colorful playground was empty before us.
There was a long conversation before us, but
he had certainly a plane, then a train to catch….
The long haired, bearded Japanese one was on a long trip
to Macchu Picchu, then staying in Belize for the rest
of the year in a rundown old cottage by the sea,
eating fish and laying naked under naked stars
with his childhood friends Miguel Suertes Blanco,
and Bianca Rodriguez and their seven children
in their tattered old clothes and rundown shanty
by the blue curling river with abundant fish.
Sitting under the shady green strumming the charango
to long lost memories of olden songs his mother sang.
There will be old Mariachi bands, Peruvian flutes,
Faraway drumming as the purple rain falls.
Laying there with the toucan and sliding snake
on the old rustic hammock enjoying the breeze.
He will change his shade with the misty moon,
and appear later as the frightful yellow leopard hidden
deep in the cave crying at the misty moon!

Waiting for a Musical Instrument Repair

This Monday I went to fix my bow, something every string player unfortunately has to do every year. Since the place is so far away I asked to stay in the area until it was finished: two hours. I went to the library but it was going to be opened at 11:30 and I started talking to a homeless girl waiting outside. She was young and very attractive and could have been a model, but with some situation unknown to me she ended this way. I felt great empathy and wanted to give her a few dollars but she asked for nothing and I had nothing smaller than a twenty. Another homeless man came and I became very thirsty from being there for an hour in the sun.

        I got a water from the Bookshop and it was an excellent café and bookstore and spread out my laptop. I got more change for the parking meter. I felt distraught from that situation earlier. She most the time has no where to sleep. They don’t want her in the park across the street and the cops there are fierce; I have heard many complain of cops that harass regular people like for stance one is black, or unusual.  

Homeless people should be sheltered with the necessary things of living and un luxury; but unfortunately low income people seek out those cheap thrills like cell phones, etc. many things that myself and others could live without. Erich Fromm said that the homeless should be sheltered and I am very strongly for that, and hope others in better situation can help others to the simplest forms of life.

A Landscape Painter

The young Sephardic came to paint in the park,
he was long bearded, long hair through the sides of the bald head,
his smile of endless landscape paths, he was there with his brush
by the Miami river beside the long trails of wooden meadows.
On the other side of the park was an insane asylum were no action
was even seen but the lull of days and a questioning silence,
no one came, no one left, no one was out ever in their cruel lawn,
now it is a very tall four star luxury hotel, leaving the crazed on the streets.
Dr.Heinrich Weiss wanted to be like Cezanne, reading
all the impressionistic painters journals that he would quote.
His long brown beard would flow in the breeze in laughter
flowing down the pathways with the trailing wildflowers
yellow and purples, he liked the open meadows, overseeing the
old sailboats on the dilapidated pier that old fisherman called their wives,
the children played, the seagulls cry and the old pelicans sat till sunset
Here that young man came that looked like a grandfather,
with his wild very long black beard, his old blemished painter’s diaries.
He had painted scenes from Buenos Aires where here recently lived,
for a few dollars to passer-by’s as his wife cried for him to get a real job.
He would quote from Gauguin, to Freud, reading, was life,
would past the evenings on the old futon, as his wife cooked his black
beans his rice and yucca, the snapper fish, delicious bread she baked.
There at his house surprisingly were many self-portraits, seemly
having a lifetime of endless paintings to fill a whole room.
When he started never finish in nature done through a photo.
On day coming to my studio with my vast open windows a sunset blazed,
“why don’t you paint this beautiful sunset, go now, do it?”
I replied, “it probably wouldn’t be a gorgeous sunset tomorrow.”
“Sure you can do it, will rise again, you will do a masterpiece.”
The sunset came everything was in a blaze of light for the fruit
trees dim shades everything in a lights sonorous rays…

Young Dead Soldier

The area around the lake is a strange place, for there was living a young man that was homeless and had no family. How he got there was not in the news, but he must have got there probably from Cuba or another South American country? I noticed that there was a young man living in the bushes just behind the pines. I didn’t want to disturb. I wasn’t going there often like I did when I was a teen. In those times there was a flute player that came across from the street with two girls to play flute.
This time I passed through but he wasn’t there, but I noticed there was a red picnic cloth with elaborate fruits and cheeses. Apples, kiwis, grapes, cheddar, mozzarella ball, two breads and very surprisingly a bottle of wine, food was well sealed from insects, but who was this really for, a love affair, or the young man?
Then I heard the young man joined the army. I had heard about this because it was in the news, he had been killed in action. Could he have been better homeless under a tree? Everyone has a choice of where they are going, but to seek a safer economy he died instead of having his life stabilized.