NO LONGER SECRET BUT STILL SPECTACULAR

AMERICA'S B-2 BOMBERS , SKY
SCULPTURES , A KIND OF SORT OF SECRET ABSTRACT SKY ART EXHIBIT. MORE THAN MERE ELEMENTARY MOBILES TO SERVE AS SECRET STEALTH EXAMPLES, THESE LETHAL AND LOVELY SHAPES THAT FLY HIGH AND LOW ARE ALWAYS ARMED AND READY TO GO . WHEN AND WHERE THEY GO NOBODY BUT THE PRESIDENT AND A FEW AIR FORCE GENERALS KNOW.

THIS BIG BLUE WINDOW IS NOT IN PARIS

THIS PICTURE WASN'T TAKEN ANYWHERE

NEAR FRANCE OR ON THE CONTINENT WHERE GRADUATES ONCE WENT FOR THEIR FIRST GRAND TOUR. IT'S NOT IN JAPAN, BUT THE TREE WAS A DEAD GIVEAWAY WITH SPACE ON ALMOST ANY TOKYO STREET SELLING FOR ALMOST A MILLION YEN FOR ONE SQUARE FOOT OR LESS. BUT WHERE IT IS ISN'T WHAT MAKES EVERYONE ON THE STREET BELOW STARE UP AT THE BIG BLUE WINDOW, IT'S WHAT HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY NIGHT WHEN THE WINDOW SHADES ARE RELEASED FOR ALL TO SEE WHAT'S INSIDE THAT IS SO SECRET IN THE DAYLIGHT. YOU SEE, BESIDE THE TREE THERE IS A BENCH MADE OF IRON WHERE PEOPLE REST AND TALK, LAUGH AND POINT AT THE BLUE WINDOW JUST BEFORE THE SUNSET. VENDORS WITH WAGONS LOADED DOWN WITH SODA POP AND SALTED PEANUTS, POPCORN AND CANDY WAIT ANXIOUSLY FOR THE SUN'S FINAL RAY TO DISAPPEAR BEHIND THE CITY SKYLINE. LADDERS ARE NOT ALLOWED. AND CLIMBING THE TREE HAS BEEN AGAINST ALL CITY REGULATIONS SINCE THE SUMMER OF 04; EVERYONE KNOWS WHY BUT THAT'S ANOTHER STORY WHICH REMINDS OF ANOTHER CITY WHERE BLUE WINDOWS HAVE BEEN STRICTLY AGAINST ALL CITY AND COUNTY REGULATIONS SINCE...

HOTEL ROOM OUT WEST 1960S STYLE

I JUST FIGURED OUT I'M STILL A REGISTERED GUEST IN SOME OLD HOTEL ROOM OUT WEST. I FOUND THE ROOM RECEIPT AND THE KEY IN THE BOTTOM OF AN OLD SUITCASE. I FEEL PRETTY FOOLISH NOW, BECAUSE IN THE TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE ROOM RECEIPT THERE'S A SPACE MARKED NUMBER OF GUESTS. THERE'S A CHECK MARK IN THE SPACE MARKED "TWO." WHAT BOTHERS ME IS MY MEMORY; TRY AS I MIGHT, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO THAT SECOND GUEST WAS, BUT THERE'S ANOTHER CHECK, BESIDE THE WORDS "DEPOSITED ONE DOLLAR FOR A SECOND KEY."

JADE CAT AND GOLDEN LAMP

THE TWO HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR MANY SEASONS, THE GOLDEN LAMP AND
WIDE-EYED CAT OF
JADE.
IT IS A MOST COMPATIBLE AFFAIR, A PERFECT AND MOST CONGENIAL RELATIONSHIP.

CONTEMPLATING THE ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

CONTEMPLATING A FEW ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

USE OF SOME COMMON SENSE WHEN

DISCUSSING THE CREATION OF ANY KIND OF IMAGE OR DESIGN OF VISUAL

ENTERTAINMENT THAT WILL BE KIND

TO OUR SENSES IN RESPECT TO ALL

WHO WILL BE LOOKING INSIDE OF OUR HEARTS AND MINDS TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF THINGS, SHAPES AND COLORS MOTIVATE OUR TALENTS TO ILLUSTRATE WHAT WE ARE ALL ABOUT, HEART, HANDS, EYES AND SOUL

WHILE HITCH-HIKING ACROSS CONNECTICUT

AGAIN, TIME CANNOT BE DENIED, IT IS SO MUCH A PART OF ALL WE WERE THEN AND WHAT WE BECAME AND WHERE THOSE OF US STILL HERE WILL BE. ISN'T IT FUNNY THAT WE ASSUME WE CAN DELAY TIME
BY KEEPING OUT OF SIGHT IN TIMES SQUARE AT MIDNIGHT OR ANYTIME? REALLY. WHY WAS I HEADED THERE? TO SEARCH OUT RESTAURANTS IN TIMES SQUARE ? NO, IT WAS CURIOSITY, A TRAVELING KIND OF LUST, REALLY.TIMES SQUARE? IT WAS WHERE I ENDED UP AFTER A FULL DAY
OF HITCHING RIDES FROM SOME TOWN SOMEWHERE UP IN THE NORTHERN PART
OF CONNECTICUT AROUND SALMON BROOK AND SOUTH, IN AND AROUND DANBURY TO NORWALK, THEN STAMFORD. THAT'S WHEN SOME MAN NAMED MARVIN IN A STUDEBAKER TRUCK PICKED ME UP IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, IF THERE IS SUCH A PLACE BACK EAST ANYMORE. LIKE STUDEBAKER TRUCKS, NOWHERE PLACES ARE EQUALLYAS RARE. PEOPLE ARE EVERYWHERE. MARVIN TALKED ABOUT THE KOREAN WAR AND HOW YOUNG I LOOKED WITH ONLY ONE DECADE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR AGES. IT WAS SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT, FOR SURE. HE SAID THAT WAR WAS HELL AND KOREA WAS WHERE HE FROZE BOTH EARS. HE WAS BORN IN 1932. ME? A MONTH AFTER PEARL HARBOR HARBOR. HOW MANY MEN HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW THE YEAR YOUR WERE BORN DECIDES WHICH WAR YOU'LL BE IN. HE SAID HE WISHED HE HAD BEEN BORN IN 1922 BECAUSE THE SOUTH SEAS WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER FOR HIS EARS. HE WANTED TO STOP OFF SOMEWHERE TO BUY A BOTTLE BUT I GAVE HIM A SIP FROM MY FIFTH . "NO," I TOLD HIM, "NEVER BEEN TO NEW YORK BEFORE," I SAID. "CONNECTICUT WAS QUITE ENOUGH FOR ONE DAY. MARVIN SEEMED TO KNOW HIS WAYAROUND TIMES SQUARE LIKE THE BACK OF HIS HAND. "WAS I HEADING THERE TO SEE SOME KIND OF SHOW? DID I KNOW THE LEGAL AGE FOR DRINKING IS EIGHTEEN?," HE ASKED. "I KNOW." I SAID AND MENTIONED MY PLANS TO STOP AT THE PEPPERMINT LOUNGE. WHY HADN'T I TAKEN A BUS? IT WAS TOO COMPEX TO TELL HIM THAT I WAS ON LEAVE AND IT HAD TO DO WITH FREE PLANE RIDES ON MILITARY AIRCRAFT AND SPACE AVAILABLE, NOTHING MORE AND NOTHING LESS...I THANKED MARVIN, TOOK A LOOK IN A MAGAZINE STAND OR TWO, ATE SPAGHETTI IN A GREEK RESTAURANT AND FOUND A CHEAP HOTEL ROOM WITH NO BATH EXCEPT THE ONE AT THE END OF THE HALL. FROM MY WINDOW I COULD SEE TIMES SQUARE. SO THIS WAS NEW YORK. I HEARD PEOPLE WALKING AROUND ALL NIGHT. SOME WERE IN THE HALLWAY OUTSIDE MY DOOR; MOST WERE SEEN MILLING AROUND IN NEWS STANDS. I WONDER WHY PEOPLE WANT TO SPEND NEW YEARS EVE THERE?

HOW MANY YEARS HAVE PASSED?

HOW MANY YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE WE MET AT THAT OLD PIER BY CHANCE? IT WAS A SUMMER KIND OF ROMANCE, ONE WE KNEW WOULD NOT LAST. YOU WERE FROM SOME LITTLE LAKE TOWN DOWN IN UPSTATE NEW YORK AND YOU ASKED ME WHY I DECIDED TO SPEND TIME IN BAR HARBOR, MAINE. YOU LAUGHED WHEN I TOLD YOU I HAD NEVER HAD LOBSTER WITH A MAINE BAKED POTATO OR WRITTEN A BEST SELLER. YOUR EYES SPARKLED LIKE THE STARS WE SAW AS WE LINGERED AND STAYED ON THAT RICKETY OLD PIER. WHEN THE ATLANTIC'S NIGHT WIND BEGAN BLOWING IT MADE YOU SHIVER. WE EMBRACED AND SPENT THE REST OF THE SUMMER TOGETHER IN THE CABINS WE HAD RENTED IN ADVANCE UNTIL SEPTEMBER TO GET AWAY FROM LIFE LONG ENOUGH TO FALL IN LOVE. IT'S A WONDER WE NEVER WROTE EACH OTHER EVEN ONCE, BUT I THINK WE BOTH KNEW IT WOULD BE BETTER BECAUSE WE SENSED OUR LOVE WAS TOO PERFECT TO LAST ANYWAY. WE WERE SO ROMANTIC, YET SO FATAL AND SO SELFISH TOO. WE WERE TOO YOUNG TO UNDERSTAND THAT PASSION COULD BE DIVIDED. WE WERE UNWISE. ARE YOU STILL THE DEAN OF THAT ALL GIRLS SCHOOL? YOU DIDN'T KNOW I KNEW, OR DID YOU? MAYBE WE WILL MEET AGAIN SOME SUMMER, BUT THE OLD PIER, AS YOU MUST KNOW, FINALLY FELL IN THE WINTER OF EIGHTY-NINE. IT WAS ON THE COVER OF MY LAST BEST SELLER.