Reptiles

 June 5, 2026

Waterlilies in bloom, having taken the ravages of the bears in stride. 

Evening primrose in bloom.

Giant calla in bloom. 

Outstanding progress on the novel.

Reptile day at 51 Lakeshore. I sat on the front porch drinking tea and watching a five lined skink patrol the bricks. I asked him to crawl across my naked foot, and a few seconds later he actually did, letting the side of his foot touch the side of my toe. While watering, I stirred up something in the 4 o’clock patch. It was a copperhead. The instant spearhead of panic in my chest at the sight of her was totally unexpected. Almost immediately came the apprehension of her extreme, cool, antique beauty. I considered that I have live 75 years without having been bitten by a snake, except for those I was holding, and since it’s unlikely that I’ll ever pick up a copperhead, I should consider myself safe. In any case killing her was out of the question. If she decides to relocate on her own I wouldn’t object.

Lupines

June 4, 2026

Day of crystalline loveliness. Took my neglected car to be washed. I watched the boys who work at the car wash, thinking how incredibly young it is possible to be.  

Despaired of the lupine seeds I’d planted, but when I went to re-till the area, there were seedlings hiding under the morning glory sprouts, so I weeded to give them a chance. Bought mature lupine and foxglove to fill in the spaces. The employees at the nursery were dressed as bees and butterflies. 

Random memory of my mother darning socks. The darning egg lay in her sewing bocks for decades. I wonder where it is now. 

 

 June 2, 2026

I must record the odd truth that revising my book makes me stupid with joy. 

But, tragedy at my alma mater: As part of this effort, the College has made the decision to eliminate several programs, including eight majors (Biochemistry, Creative Writing, eSports and Gaming Administration, International Studies, Neuroscience, Physics, Public Health, and Social Science) and four minors (French, Spanish, Physics, and Medieval Studies). These decisions were guided by factors including student demand, enrollment trends, and long-term sustainability. As a result of these program changes, six faculty positions have been eliminated. The question I would ask is, how many administrative positions have been eliminated. I expect the answer will be “none.”

Torrential rain began the second I got the trash bins off the street and got back inside.

 

June 1, 2026

Parents’ wedding, 1947

Unaccustomed outpouring of personal regard, which I record as one records the appearance of a strange species of bird. K writes: You are one of the best people I know.  You have a big heart.  Grateful for you. I checked the message twice to be sure it was meant for me. I assumed a certain measure of antipathy (reasons unknown) between us. 

Stephen writes, after our bout of poetry critique: 

I'm well aware I'm a novice but I really enjoyed our conversation over the last few days. Your insight and my ignorance, set a challenge for a me. To work on my scribblings and thoughts - fuelled by a deadline that passed nearly two hours ago. I feel like I undertook a masterclass with you in the best possible way. In a few days, I learnt a lot from your feedback - that kind of critique is what shapes your outlook and approach - it rightly makes you question your gut. A natural perspective is not always right (without the appropriate training to trust that perspective) and it was bit pretentious of me to think my gut would be that, without having the work done to back it up and trust that I trained my instinct, which I haven't. It's just raw.

I look forward to studying the classics and the contemporary. To have an expert evaluate my words like you did, means an awful lot and I appreciate it. 

I would have loved to have heard some of your lectures at North Carolina University. I wonder were you serious or funny? I've only ever known you to be warm, reciting quotes when you want to be punny.

You've set out a path for me - to read, learn and consume as much as I can to train my instinct - that is invaluable and I look forward to it. Thank you.

He sent me the song he wrote as Ireland’s entry to Euro vison, to which I’ll listen when I am awake enough. He composes under the name Stephen Oliver Markham

Can’t believe I began a rewrite of The One with the Beautiful Necklaces. Its publication is surely obscure enough not to make a difference. 

 May 31, 2026

My white swamp hibiscus was cut down. Security cameras, creepily, do not reveal the culprit. I was taking pride in that plant’s future. 

J’s birthday– he who made me an uncle. 

The concert I tried to hear yesterday actually happened today, a vesper service at Trinity, featuring mostly the music of Bach. Quite nice. On both evenings, downtown was enfolded by the perfume of basswood trees, my favorite scent of all. I always park at distance, to give myself exercise, and the speed of my return to the car this evening made me hopeful for my stamina. 

Poetry

 May 30, 2026

Re-watched Once Upon a Time in Hollywood last night, then in a dream Brad Pitt was my father (wearing the same yellow Hawaiian shirt) and we were selecting a vacation camping cabin, and as soon as we were set up he was going to show me how to butcher a cow in time for that night’s barbecue. 

Got spiffed up to attend a concert at Trinity downtown, which actually happens on another night. Had a cocktail at Times. 

SM turns out to be quite serious about poetry, and sends draft after draft. His latest drafts are actually readable. He’s an outstanding musician, so why not poetry? He is infected with the notion– which must come from bad teachers–that poetry enlarges emotion by expressing it in the most difficult and obscure way possible. The harder it is to figure out, the smarter the poet, the deeper the emotion. So many new writers are metaphysicians, thinking it’s needful for us to ransack history and psychology and etymology to help us unravel why that word in that place. Every statement is a knot to untie. For some that may be natural, but not for many. Anyway, he plunges forward, and I try to remain positive in my critiques. Aside from that, he is so beautiful. He sent me a voice recording of one of the poems, and though the poem is incomprehensible, I play it again and again. 

Quincy

 May 29, 2026

Fierce glut of dead-heading among the roses. Weeding, chopping of bamboo. My arms streamed blood from the thorns. 

There’s a hole in the porch big enough for a cat to squirm through. A tiny cat. 

B and her family have moved to Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho. From there you can spit into Canada. It’s clearly the remotest, most inconvenient place she could find without expatriation. 

Talked with the man who’s co-directing my little play at the Ruth Gordan Amphitheater in Quincy, MA. His co-director wanted to divide up five characters meant to be played by one person among five different actors, and he counted on me to put the kibosh on that, which I did.