the giant steps forth disturbed by the lilliputians that have

despolied his land

the stinkhorn was randy, wearing its distinctive suit and

emitting an unmistakeable odor

shall we dance? said one stinkhorn to another

fall: 23 September 2011

muted grey, but color trees are beginning to show their fall foliage

observed but not understood

geometric designs to us, but the forces that fabricate these forms, what are they, what theory exists to explain them? is the image a mind model, or the reality of mind and sensibility . . .

first title: how confusing

second title: confusion
third title: only a discriminating eye can distinguish between what is and was is not
fourth title: a composition
fifth title: beating about the bush
sixth title: subtlety is lost on the common and the vulgar

Natural Geometry

DANGER: too late, but the fly may escape

what one seed cost humankind, according to mythology

Aesop: in remembrance

Aesop who came into our home to comfort Kate after she lost Fala, her dear companion; but Aesop was too young and Kate was still grieving. When Kate died, we waited until our little Emma was born at Great Scot Kennels in Saugerties New York. She was Aesop's sister: they had the same mom but two different dads. Once Emma grew out of her wild crazy puppyhood, the siblings became inseperable companions, but their personalities were different. Whereas Aesop enjoyed being outdoors and had several favorite sites, one at the fence where he could look out towards the street, Emma preferred staying indoors until late afternoon or dusk. Then she would sit on the patio and survey the garden. Aesop might sit alongside of her. Together they explored Tallman State Park in New York, walking up and down trails with eagerness and also Olana State park and even Mt Desert island, Maine. He loved to swim in sweet water; on a hike in Rockleigh State park, New York, we followed a trail and came upon a rushing stream. he jumped right into a pool and paddled about, happy as a clam. He was a dear sweet boy, but when he felt he had to protect his sister or us, he took a stand. Now he is doggie heaven along with his sisters Kate and Emma and with his brother Fala. Eden for them is like the farmland outsie Evora, Portugal-with beautiful fields and large old cork trees and babbling brooks. And when he wants us to sisit, he summons us with a Aesop bark, and we all sit together, telling stories.

The Kiss

Giacomo Leopardi's Loves

Giacomo Leopardi's Torments

The Three Graces

Wretched remains: thinking of Giacomo Leopardi

whose poetry is the opposite of what you see; his poems are exquisite.

Green Man: from HiLine to Columbia University

HiLine aka FineLine. Green Man jogging near Avery and Low Library. Why is he jogging in a charteuse-green body suit with shorts on the walkways of Columbia University campus? Is he making a statement? Is he mad? What gives? He must be seeking higher knowledge, but what is that knowledge? This is surely a conceptual project, no? Maybe he or she is trying to experience what it feels like to be green, like Kermit the Frog or might she/he be part of a biology experiment or is this a new art form. Anonymous droid let loose on campus. The Green Man on the ultra-fashionista FineLIne when Hi Line Green Man still had a face; but this person has disappeared within his body suit. The being, whoever it was, recalls a marvelous Paul Taylor dance where the dancers wore tan body suits. But that piece was memorable for its humor, its choreography , its characters and characterizations but green man speaks to the moment, the inanity of the 21st century in the United States. Hope for the best and keep your fingers crossed.

Rose Rosen: in memoriam 1887--1968

Remembering my dear grandmother Rose Rosen, my father's mother. According to my father's birth certificate she was 22 when she gave birth to her first child; her husband was only 23. Both had emigrated from Russia, according to my father's birth certificate. His father is identified as a "laundryman;" no occupation is given for my grandmother, but the document does note that newborn Joseph ( later changed to "George," by school authorities) is the couple's first child. They resided on 365 Osborn Street in Brooklyn.
My first memories of my grandmother Rose (maiden name Engleman) is of a very happy cheerful mirthful person who brought candy when she visited her son's family. Of course my brother paul Peter Rosen and I loved the candy, and by extension loved our grandmother. Long after she had died in 1968, I began to wonder about who she was really and what she had experienced. After her beloved husband Morris died and her second - born Jack Rosen, a lawyer died at age 39, she began to change. Growing up in a large family with sisters and cousins, her circle dwindled and in the end she lived alone in the Bronx, in an area that had become risky. Nonetheless she refused to move; an independent spirit she resided alone long after her family was deceased, except for her son George and his family. At 81 she had a stroke and went into a coma from which she never emerged. Now, as I approach her age, I wonder how she faced the rigors of aging. She read Yiddish newspapers, knew well what was happening in the world; she was nobody's fool and held strong opinions. But she was not biased; her open-mindedness was impressive. When I was married to Richard Brignoli she did not object that he was not of the same faith; indeed the two formed a strong bond. In an era when racial and ethnic stereotypes prevailed, she held herself apart from those prejudices. An independent minded woman, and a loving grandparent, Grandma supported her grandchildren emotionally with tremendous feeling and strength. I have chosen two pictures of my grandmother: when she was a young woman in her twenties and later in life, in her forties or early fifties . She is talking to one of her sisters. What happened to this large family? Silently, they disappeared from my life. Perhaps my brother Dr. Paul Peter Rosen, the eminent pathologist recalls, but since he decided he no longer wanted to have contact with me about six year ago--or is it longer now?-- I do not know how these blanks can be filled in and the family made whole again.

the game is lost: a swarming host attacks

red, white and blue and green for regeneration
do you see the swarm ?