ARTICLES
The Rooster in the Wristwatch
"One of my wristwatches has an alarm
which mimics the sound of a rooster crowing.
Until recently I wore this watch every day.
When the rooster sound went off in class or in a meeting each morning,
I played innocent, looking around the room as if to discover
where the sound was coming from."

Swedenborg's Angels
"In Heaven there is no time.
The appearance of things changes according to moods.
The Angels' garments shine according to
their intelligence."

READINGS
Life Among the Fundibulums
Part I
"Candle and lamp light are supposed to make your eyelashes
look long and sweeping. What eyelashes?
Most of the time my eyelids were as hairless as marbles
from bending over the lamps to see
why in hell those clouds of black smoke."
Part II
"The rooster now is something else again.
He doesn't give a damn if you take every egg in the place
and play handball. He doesn't care if the chicken house
is knee-deep in weasels and blood.
He just flicks a speck from his lapel
and continues to stroll around."

POETRY
Oranges from Palestine
"Your mother looks kindly at this strange American man. / I wonder if she knows.
We cannot lie, cannot gaze here / but I can still taste your warm fragrance.
On the table, nestled in a brown bowl / plump oranges from Palestine.
Your sister smiles at me. / She knows."

Why They Do It
"Russell drinks because he's in college. / Uncle Jack drinks because he's a perfectionist.
Dave drinks because he's out of work. / Aunt Rita drinks because she's a musician.
Bert drinks because he's married to Rita. / Renny drinks because he likes a good time."

Acupuncture and Cleansing at Forty-Eight
my old friend's betrayal lumped in my neck, / my old love walking away thirty years ago
stuck in my lower back, father's death, mother's / lovelessness lodged in so many parts
it may takes years, Dr. Ming whispers, to wash them out, / telling me to breathe deep, to breathe hard..."