Summer Flashback

Before we say bye to Summer, a look back at 2023. One of Twig's earliest excursions into his private Jacuzzi. 

Another Last Flower of Summer

Took this on Friday. Couldn't post it until today.

On a Roll

Posted my newest TikTok Haiku, number twenty-five with more videos coming.

My Summer's End Poem for 2023

Another summer gone, another hay(na)ku to help say good riddance.

Click here for the hay(na)ku poem I've been repostting at the end of summer for a while.

Bye to Summer, 2023

Boys

of summer

curb you again

while

she just

sits and watches.

Summer is Over!

 

 

Summer 2023 Trainwrecks: My Hair

 

Because of a few lines half-remembered from Robert Bly's Iron John, I feel like the longer my hair goes uncut (almost eight weeks here), the more it holds the mania of prior weeks. You can't call my hair "long" by any definition, but when it looks like this, I can look like Doc Brown crossed with Ted Kaczynski, which doesn't help my mental state. When I eventually get to the barber (which I did last night), it feels like I've shed twenty pounds along with the mental anguish of summer's end.

Summer 2023 Highlights: Len Germinara and Sarah Oktay

So happy the few times I had my friend over for Stone Soup this summer. Moving forward, I am going to do more of this for the rest of the year.

 

Summer 2023 Highlights: Dexter Roberts

 

 

Before I get to the one last thing, I want to mention the few things I did right with Stone Soup. I'm glad the few times I could get my act together and invite friends to come back and feature online. One of them was Dexter Roberts. Toni Bee sent me this photo of him after his reading on September 13. I don't care if you were all back at school when it happened. It still counts as a summer highlight.

 

Summer 2023 Highlights: Ending It

A friend left a sound bowl at the Oddball Festival. I was putting off doing anything that involved travel for weeks. Finally, I bit the bullet and drove my girlfriend's car down last Friday to Malden, braving the late rush hour for an hour to finally deliver the bowl. I felt free at that point, like all my obligations were finally finished and I could say good by to another summer. There was just one more thing.

Summer 2023 Highlights: Jason Wright

 

 

Jason Wright was an MVP this summer. He volunteered at the Boston Poetry Marathon and organized the Oddball Festival the following Sunday. I'm amazed he pulled it all off. I won't blame him if he doesn't want to do it again next year. 

Summer 2023 Trainwrecks: Oddball Festival

 

 

The Saturday before Oddball Festival, I was visiting my Mom. I was still so tired from the Boston Poetry Marathon the prior week. I ended up putting diesel fuel in my girlfriend's car. I ended up staying over my Mom's while getting my car towed to a garage. 

 

I took my Mom's car to the festival the following morning and somehow ended up making it and served as one of the performers and one of the hosts as planned. It was fun introducing and even recording features like The Garage poets, but I was waiting to leave so I could get home and check up on the car. 

 

The first ever Oddball Festival was a success. I was a miserable failure before I even got there.

 

Eventually I got the car back the next day, but it was all stressful as hell. Those three days led me to cancel the rest of Stone Soup Poetry for August. I'm left not even sure I'll do the festival again next year. I don't even want to risk making the same mistakes next year.

Summer 2023 Highlights: Boston Poetry Marathon

For the first time since I've been reading at this event, I participated in the event not only as a performer but also as an co-organizer. 

I started and managed the Gofundme page to raise the funds to pay for the event. I was there both days doing media work and documenting the event. 

I even took the podium as a host and probably made an ass of myself like I normally do. Doesn't matter. I did everything I could to help make this happen with the help of Christina Liu, Xtina Strong, Suzanne Mercury and departing organizer Bridget Eileen. 

I'm gathering my thoughts as summer comes to an end so I can send out a much delayed final message to wrap up the year and prepare for next August. 

Summer 2023 Highlights: Hangtime

It was fun goofing around with my girlfriend's nieces while celebrating her dad's birthday. For some reason, they liked picking plants from the ground and putting them to my head whenever I wanted to take selfies .

Summer 2023 Sad Moments: Losing Sinéad O'Connor

So sad to have never seen her perform live. I was planning on posting Sinéad O'Connor material in the fall with the foolish hope she might find me online and strike up a conversation. So happy I got writers and artists to do tributes, including this amazing at from Donna A Black.

Summer 2023 Disappointments: Family Health Scare

All I'll say is that the worst did not happen. That's why it's still a disappointment and not a tragedy. There are still questions we're hoping to get answers for later this fall. Until then, all we can do is wait and be glad everyone's walking around and occasionally kicking. 

Summer 2023 Disappointments: Twig Getting Hurt

On top of family health issues I've not expanded on here for obvious reasons, my adopted brother Twig broke a bone or two jumping off a chair. With his refusal to keep still, things felt touch and go for a while. However, I'm happy to report that the doctor gave him a clean bill of health yesterday. He will probably have arthritis in the future, but for now I won't feel so bad the next time he jumps at me.

Summer 2023 Highlights: Spotting a Hate Crime?

 

 

This is a very strange flyer to see in Provincetown. Advertising "Live Music, Less Gay" is certainly one thing. Then there's this: "An Anti-Pop Production Never Featuring," followed by a list of artists that are no doubt part of any drag performer's Spotify list. Haven't found anything on this group or band online. Searching for "Cassette Cleaner" on the internet yields too many results. Putting a pin on this for now.

Summer 2023 Highlights: Lots of Good video for TikTok

Today I finally did that Seagull video I wanted to do with that song from Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar. I have more TikTok videos coming. 

 

Summer 2023 Highlights: Napi's Restaurant

 

 

I ate at a lot of great restaurants this summer. Especially in Provincetown. Napi's was the only one I took a picture of. Mostly because my girlfriend and I were interested in its design.

 

Summer 2023 Highlights: This Photo

"Burst" was taken on the night of July Fourth. A one in a million shot if you take into account the nine hundred thousand nine hundred and ninety eight shots that sucked.