Cape Canaveral Poet Laureate

This is another tribute to John Prine with a cover of his song "Frying Pan" from the Diamonds in the Rough album, along with some commentary.  In this song, you can see him using specific details to tell the story.  Using details allows the audience to really embed themselves in the story and in the position of the protagonist.  For instance, rather than saying that his wife ran away with "another man", he says she ran away with the "Fuller Brush man".  Rather than saying she left a note for him to find, he says that she specifically left it in the frying pan and directed him to make his own supper.  Towards the end, you see that now he has a specific distaste for all door-to-door salesmen, not just men or any sales representative.  These types of details make the story more real and allow the reader or listener to really connect to the story.  I do not own the rights to this song, but am sharing it with the hopes that you may listen and apply some of ...

This builds on the Piano video.  The same progression, but in the key of G because some people have trouble with the F-chord.  Here are the chord diagrams: Just like on the piano, you can play these in any order and play two of them, three, or all four.  It will always sound pretty good to the American ear.  Take some time to learn to play some simple music on an instrument during this time of quarantine.  And then just speak some of your poetry over it.  You can make amazing songs that way! Support local businesses and independent artists to the extent you can do so safely.  Happy writing, peace and love (and Happy Easter)!!!

Why not use your quarantine time to write some poetry?  And if you would like to make your poem into a song, here are some chords to help you.  I chose the key of C because it is fairly simple to play in.  It uses all white keys, so no sharps or flats.  Also, to be clear, I am not a music teacher and do not really know music theory.  All of this is just simple, self-taught easiness.  The major scale is played by playing this pattern:  Whole Step, Whole Step, Half Step, Whole Step, Whole Step, Whole Step, Half Step.  A half step is the next possible note to play, whether it is a white or black key.  So the major scale in the key of C is C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C.  A very common progression in American music is to use some form of the first, fourth, fifth, and minor sixth chords.  In C, the first is C, the fourth is F, the fifth is G, and the sixth minor is A minor.  Here is a picture of how to play the chords: To get the placemen...

Hello, everyone! During this challenging time, I am trying to bring you more content for your enjoyment.  This is a poem (a song) about making the most of the current situation.  While we are all social distancing and semi-quarantining, it gives us time to reflect on pleasant memories, those we care about, and even just enjoy looking around us in a somewhat slower time. And remember, do what you safely can to support our local businesses and artists throughout all of this. Thank you and be well! Social Distancing  I swung by the store hoping you might be there Thinking I had some time maybe we could share While the hygiene and quarantine puts us in a bind I know I'm not the only one to try to get you off his mind And it's been a while, but when we're together it sure feels nice If I could send a little joy your way, I'd send it same day To your carved out paradise We looked out the twenty-second floor window Searching for ice cream lost somewhere down ...

St Patrick's Day offers a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the many contributions of the Irish people to our country and community.  William Butler Yeats, Katherine Tynan, Colette Bryce, Oscar Wilde, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Dolores O'Riordan, are just a few of the wordsmiths hailing from Ireland.  In America, we have colloquialisms that arise from Irish impact on our culture.  In this poem, I attempt to utilize some of them to reflect the positive impact on the Irish on the American language, as well as use some Irish folklore references to shine a most positive light on the Irish. Since this was inspired by St. Patrick's day, the first lines reflect the story of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland into the sea. The phrase "Irish goodbye" means to leave a gathering without any fanfare, just show up, have a good time with your friends, and leave without making a big deal.  Not a rude walk out, just leaving without any long, drawn out farewell. ...

In honor of Thanksgiving, I wrote this poem.  It is a song, made up of many couplets. It is easy to remember to be thankful for the positive things, but this reminds us to also be thankful for the things that did not go as planned, because that is how we learn and grow.  "Magic words" is a reference to "please" and "thank you".  "The pen is mightier than the sword" is an old saying meaning that words can solve problems that violence cannot, and with less harmful effects.  Because that saying is a metaphor, the next line shows gratitude for metaphors.  The femme fatale, ingénue, and protagonist are types of characters used in story telling.  So, this is showing thanks for stories and literature.  Der Blaue Reiter is a group of artists from the early 1900s who united under philosophies surrounding art.  It included artists such as  Wassily Kandinsky, Alexej von Jawlensky, Marianne von Werefkin, and native German artists, such as Franz Ma...

(Photo courtesy of City of Cape Canaveral) On Friday, October 4, during our wonderful Friday Fest, the City dedicated its new mural, One Giant Leap for Mankind,  by artist Anón .  You can find his work on Facebook or at this link:    https://anon.myportfolio.com/?fbclid=IwAR2ESNmbrfCul2xcC5gS8vuGBbBjd2xExQ1SzMUaKH-DGcXSV5recZBfFDc I was honored to be part of that event and meet the artist, who, aside from being talented, is a super nice guy.  He brought his wife and new child to the dedication.  His mural served as inspiration for a new poem in the form of a song.  This song is comprised of four mono-rhymed quatrains (meaning each stanza is four lines long with a rhyme scheme of AAAA, BBBB, CCCC, DDDD, with perfect and loose rhymes).  The title is based on the location and topic of the mural.   The first line is from JFK’s famous speech that set us on our lunar path. The trajectory refernces the conical path portrayed on the m...