Published in MuddyUm·PinnedMember-only“Our” Somalian?mercy bo-koo — So, we’re at this fancy French restaurant the other night, right? Just finished peroosing the cart doojer, breathing in the ambien, enjoying the mill-yo. When this guy comes up to us, out of the blue, and (get this) claims to be “Our Somalian for the evening” — and starts selling…Humor1 min readHumor1 min read
Published in The Howling Owl·11 hours agoMember-onlyChatterbirda children’s verse translation — Chatterbird a poem by Noémi László, translated by Joe Váradi Little songbird, where did you fly, Cross my garden high in the sky? Over here, over there drinking in the dewy air, over there, over here, dizzy currents drew me near. Little songbird, where did you go, Cross my garden swooping down…Poetry1 min readPoetry1 min read
Published in The Pub·Mar 12Member-onlyThese Reviews of Budapest Landmarks Had Me In Stitchesjust, wow — Fisherman’s Bastion Szentháromság Square, Castle District ⋆⋆⋆⋆ ½ Between the Danube and the Deep Blue Sea A worthy monument to this proud seafaring nation! [Note from the Editor: Hungary is a landlocked country, as it has been for much of history, except for brief stints during the Middle Ages and the era…Travel2 min readTravel2 min read
Published in The Haven·Mar 5Member-onlyThese Reviews of San Francisco Landmarks Made My Jaw Dropjust, wow — Alcatraz Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay ⋆⋆⋆⋆ Be Like Nic! You too can now visit the movie set built specifically for the filming of the 1996 blockbuster The Rock, starring Nicolas Cage and that old dude who used to play James Bond, and that other old dude who played the abusive…San Francisco2 min readSan Francisco2 min read
Published in No Crime in Rhymin’·Mar 2Member-onlyYou Can’t Have Your Kayak and Heat It, Tooan epic poem of Arctic adversity — Up in the Arctic’s realm of boundless snow where glaciers stretch as far as eye can see a heavy set and fur-clad Eskimo (encountering a fearsome undertow) set out atop his raft to brave the sea Dear Reader, don’t read too much into it that I referred to him as Eskimo…Pun3 min readPun3 min read
Published in Lit Up·Feb 24Member-onlyThe Pond’s Song of Springtimea verse translation of a poem by Jenő Dsida — How grand it was, under the ice: above and below, paradise, all around me calm translucence - Now every noise: piercing nuisance. Snow and ice cap covered the banks, heavy armored icy phalanx, encased in ice also was I, indiff’rent as winter’s grey sky. Nothing there to do me no harm, I…Poetry2 min readPoetry2 min read
Published in The Howling Owl·Feb 22Member-onlyDear Adversarywhen the gloves come off — I’ve developed a personal mantra in my adult years — friends make life bearable, enemies make it interesting. It’s a bit contrarian, I admit, but to me it’s proven to be a useful self-check. When I find that everyone around me is in agreement with me, I’m likely trying too…Love2 min readLove2 min read
Published in No Crime in Rhymin’·Feb 10Member-onlyInjury Porn Syllabic Poetrycut my ring finger cut my ring finger with the potato peeler, where when you need one is a holistic healer? all the simplest tasks are now taking forever, making my dinner an arduous endeavor took out a big chunk of this bejeweled digit, bandaged it up but ouch! still hurts when I touch it…Poetry2 min readPoetry2 min read
Published in Writers’ Blokke·Feb 1Member-onlyThere’s No Crying in … Baby!There’s No Crying in … Baby! Bundles of joy? Give me a break — noise machines that keep us awake So self-centered, so entitled, your high maintenance unrivaled Demand feedings three times a night, then nine more meals during daylight Who allowed you onto that flight if you can’t even sit upright? Disturbing our peace bucolic with…Poetry1 min readPoetry1 min read
Published in Lit Up·Jan 27Member-onlyOne thought alone my mind tormentsa verse translation of a poem by Sándor Petőfi — Continuing my tribute to Sándor Petőfi (1823–1849), in this bicentennial of his birth month, with one of his better-known revolutionary poems. Written in December of 1846, when he had already moved from his rural village to Pest, not yet married, not yet a leading figure in the revolution that would…Translation2 min readTranslation2 min read
