jpaulgorman

                          Birdland is a place that bleeds jazz.  Cassady bopped here.  Miles blew here.  Miles was silent here.  The atmosphere was full of musical expectation when I arrived, alone, for the 9 PM show.  I was there an hour early after dropping off the girls at the New Amsterdam Theater to see the Broadway production of Mary Poppins.  Highly anticipated by them, the show did not disappoint as I found out later.  As for me, the three hour getaway was an opportunity for observation and experience.  I had no plans beyond walking them to the show, and after one more rejection of my wife's invitation to experience Mary Poppins with them; I was walking the streets of Times Square.      All of humanity seemed represented.  Everyone with a destination.  Seemingly not me. I was content to s...

i hear you through the wind under the door shouting my name over and over "can you hear me?" you plead while preparing preparing for sleep and eternal rest listen, listen to the voice of this night it clearly tells you to be quiet silence will help you understand the wise words telling, teaching, begging, laughing, moaning how long will you sleep tonight? how many dreams will you forget? when you awake open your heart to the new always new always promise always hope always faith always always sleep my baby i hear you       

last night i went to hoboken to see a hobo i knew he was lost in the fog and dancing asked me if i had a brew took him to a pub called o'gormans and drank til one or two the bartender called the police when i beat a man with my shoe he had called me a stinking bum when i bumped into his girl took a swing at my friend, the hobo and both my fists became curled "i might stink like a rat", i had said "and i know i'm full of rum. but no one's gonna hit my buddy, no one's gonna call me a bum." that was my first mistake being so thin skinned the man was just protecting his lady and we were butting in but i was full of booze and that man, he was too two simple minded drunks fighting with our shoes the police pulled me off the man his woman spit in my face they cuffed me and read me my rights then took me out of that place sitting in the jailhouse now bottom front tooth broken wondering if my hobo friend made it b...

trading off on each side of the boat, deville, stubborn and burning still, continued at a lesser pace. hawkeye's neck was as red as a robin. we got through the medium waters then a final wind burst and we struggled to the shore. only two hundred yards from where deville had two hours earlier called us to attention. each of us made a dry landing, dover commenting again on the wonder of it all. each of us exited the craft leisurely and carefully. but land was welcome and more appreciated than before. by me for sure. i looked back and saw from where we came. the cove we were in protected us from the fierce wind out on the open water. where we started. where we cursed. where we gave up. where we kept going. where we found it. we could do anything now. a weight was lifted. the world seemed lighter then, easier. it was too good of a feeling not to be temporary. so we enjoyed it while it lasted. the half mile hike to deville's fishing cabin seemed inadequate. the by sea drama would ...

broken spark plug. deville had never heard of such a thing. "this just doesn't happen. spark plugs don't break." he assured. "i can't believe i don't have an extra spark plug." he wondered aloud. He had diagnosed the problem after furiously pulling the cover off the engine and digging through the often dug in mass of metal and wires. at that moment i allowed a quick, but unsuccessful, promise to learn more about basic engine care and maintanence. what if i was caught-up alone in the desert or somthing? i irrationally wondered. although a solo west coast trip to see the great pacific waters had long been anticipated, it was likely years off. deville cursed along. hawkeye serving diligently as right hand man to the captain. deville knew he was thrust into the position of savior and he tried everything to get that thing going. catfish was despondent and unbelieving.  "you mean this engine is broke again?" he had been on the same lake with de...