Your journey began with micro-poetry during the pandemic. What was it about that time that inspired you to dive into writing?
Well, I wrote software technical documentation for 30+ years and I always considered writing my own book. My 22-yr old twins were heading to college and I had begun thinking of leaving the SF Bay Area for the Sonoran Desert in SoCal. I had also just recently joined Twitter (X) and my very early attempts at writing poetry were supported by the writing community on social media, so I was compelled to dive deeper into this art.
Rhode Island is steeped in history. How did growing up near the Wampanoag Trail and Narragansett Bay influence your worldview or creative voice?
I love the oceans (water, desert, space), and I grew up a stone's toss from the Narragansett Bay. The skies were not as wide open as those in the southwest or in the desert, and I think the close-knit ecologies in New England helped my world view mature. I was an evolving writer back then and I wrote letters constantly.
You once designed a "Moon City" for fifty astronauts at a state science fair. How did that early fascination with space and technology shape your later writing?
You can see some parallels in some of my poems (I'll share one below). At an early age, I was constantly trying on new "clothes" to discover what I should do with my life. Such endeavors include: becoming an astronaut/geologist, electrician, computer scientist, and finally writer.
As someone who repaired F-15 avionic electronics in the USAF, what parallels (if any) do you see between the precision of technical work and the art of crafting poetry?
This is an interesting question, as I actually do not. Sort of the idea of the two halves of our brain: creative and scientific. That said, one could postulate that working with linguistics, language, and the art of rhetoric are all other branches of the inquisitive mind; each one is a puzzle that delights a searching mind in this beautiful and enigmatic universe.
Earning a degree in computer science is quite different from writing poetry. How did that academic path impact your creative process?
Writing computer programs is a problem-solving task. Writing prose or poetry exhibits interesting parallels as I do not research or "plan" my poetry. Calliope (my muse) places a word or phrase in my mind and my "task or problem" is to finish it. The rest of the poem just falls out of my mind as I listen to music (and not the lyrics, instead, it's the vibe that provides the "river" my thoughts follow to write poetry.
What led you to transition from technical writing to more personal, enigmatic poetry?
I suspect it was a combination of "life factors". My twins heading off to college, moving to the desert, and in a sense, moving leaving my technical writing career for other pursuits. For example, I learned to play golf as well.
You designed and built your own home by the ocean in Half Moon Bay. Did that experience influence your writing, especially given its poetic imagery of place?
Sure. The house is right on the Pacific Ocean. Watching the ocean waves is an amazing therapeutic experience. In a way oceans have a unique of opening doors within you.
You describe yourself as an avid vinyl LP audiophile. Do you find any connection between the experience of listening to records and the way you approach writing poetry?
Absolutely. I have 1200 vinyl LPs and an astonishing audio system. Some music/bands work better than others, so Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Cigarettes After Sex, Angus and Julia Stone, Ghostly Kisses, and all Jazz music in particular. Listen to "Heatbeat" by Ghostly Kisses and you'll also get pulled into this "river" that Calliope seems to encourage; it's not the lyrics; instead, it's the vibe.
As a science fiction connoisseur, do you ever blend elements of speculative fiction into your micro-poetry?
As I mentioned previously, definitely, although, not too often. Here's a couple good examples:
Laniakea's Realm
They met in Laniakea's realm
eons ago, lightyears distant.
Often they would gaze across
vast beckoning starscapes,
wondering at us and
our dazzling
blue-white box of rain.
Yet they demurred
preferring to venture
their universe within,
these lonely wraiths
finding instead,
our long lost memory.
Life Inside a Chenzeme Sunspider
Today was my last day awake and alive
Chenzeme sunspiders harvested our camp
Somehow we are all still together in its mind
Except the sun and stars are all black
Space is an eerie blue, like a calm ocean
I don’t understand time now as it’s weird
All of our memories haven’t happened yet
Each morning the spider eats someone new.
All of our bodies are planted like carrots now
I can tell they are all alive because they wave
Except there’s no souls inside anymore
We’ve all inside this new universe; it’s a monster.
Your poetry is described as enigmatic, romantic, and melancholic. Why do you think these themes resonate with you, and how do they come alive in your work?
I have an interesting personality (INFJ) that's rare for men. Introverted Intuition is my "super power". Even on online social media platforms it's very easy for me to read people by observing others and building patterns based on text dialog, body language, sound of voice, eye contact, and all of the associated implied meanings
The Empathy of Rain invites readers into a vortex of dreams, hopes, and well-wishes. What inspired the title, and what does “empathy of rain” mean to you personally?
Right. Turbulent Waves is more about the emotional turbulence we have all experienced since the start of the pandemic. The Empathy of Rain is more akin to the experiences we go through in our engangled universe from a nature's perspective. The cover with butterlfies encased in transparent bubbles in a rainstorm represents a metaphor for the title.
You write that your poems “entwine the soul with the poet inside us all.” How do you hope your readers connect their own emotions and experiences with the verses you’ve created?
Good question. Well, it's sort of the way I write, in a way, almost "stream of consciousness". We all have an internal dialogue running in our minds 24/7. My poetry taps into this "river" in different way than traditional poetic meter. Melancholy runs in my veins, so it's almost a touchstone that enables to me to find a common denominator with my audience.
When you look back on “Turbulent Waves”, what do you hope readers will carry with them long after the last page is turned?
It's very raw. Sort of like the newborn light of a star that just ignites or is born in our universe. So in a sense it's my "first light" to speak. We are all born from a star. Her light shows us the way through the vast blanket of night she carries us through all of our lives.
Music and sound are woven throughout your poetry. How does music—both literal and metaphorical—shape the rhythm and tone of your writing?
It's like the cadence of the thoughts I weave into a poetic form. I really never studied poetic meter, other than the work of Herman Hesse, Hemingway, Arthur Rimbaud, and what I read in school.
How has being part of a writer and reader community like AllAuthor helped you connect with your audience and promote your work?
Marketing is the next great unknown realm for me. If you already have a brand, name, or existing market, getting noticed and building rapport to generate sales is easier. I need to be careful, as I have already spent too much on publishing, so I have just created a web site and I am slowly building my own platform.
