“To Be” for Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
You may think this post is a political advertisement: I see it is a love poem and public service announcement…. read more
Ropa Vieja in Cuba and Puerto Rico
*This article was picked up by Counterpunch for their June 4, 2018 issue. Ropa Vieja in Cuba and Puerto Rico… read more
Kew and Willow Books Open Mic
Bernard Titowsky’s Austin Used Book Shop disappeared from Kew Gardens, Queens, in 1984 when he lost his lease after 30… read more
The Common Core: It’s a Cookbook!
It’s often repeated old news that U.S. public education is being undermined by corporate interests and elitist ideologues. Yet, this sinister… read more
American Honey
Montreal Serai’s “Literature: Spirit” issue is out! “American Honey” and three more of my poems were included. Grateful to be in… read more
Being Cowed: A Disorienting Unity
“Hey, diddle, diddle” by Mother Goose Hey, diddle, diddle, The cat and the fiddle, The cow jumped over the moon;… read more
Anti-Heroin Chic on This Black Friday
I recently came across an intriguing literary outlier space called Anti-Heroin Chic that supports dealing directly and creatively with pain instead of… read more
Faces of Maria
The most critical news from a shattered Puerto Rico and its traumatized people is not getting out. People on the island… read more
Kathy Chang(e) October 10, 1950 – October 22, 1996
As October 22nd falls on a Sunday this year and suspending my disbelief in heaven, I can see Jesus… read more
Prayer Warrior
Bisexuals Go Where? Surprising vapors from your letters: Did you last write, “I accept your offer of a critique”?… read more
(Re) Constitution
Don’t Worry It’s Friday the 13th; my favorite, Halloween, is coming; I’m going out tonight and that night. Sometimes… read more
Intersections
I am happy to report my poem “Cuz I Knew Forty Years Ago First” appears in ImageOutWrite, a literary anthology,… read more
Poems Dark Found
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DVDs Under The Bed /The Shining/Omen/Insomnia/ /Night and Fog/Pan’s Labyrinth/ /Nosferatu/Angels and… read more
Avé Maria, Misericordia
I Avé Maria Native American Taino island, Borinquén, Puerto Rico, U.S. raped colony, carcass being eaten down to splintered bones,… read more
Post 9/11: Not in My Name
The U.S. is going through a dark time where we need poets who are good at writing accessible… read more
Ghazal Me
It’s great to hear “Ghazal Me” will appear in issue #72 of The Ghazal Page. In case you’re unfamiliar with… read more
A Tennis Body
Warming Up After seeing U.S. Open qualifying tournament matches at the National Tennis Center last week, I came home… read more
Race Matters or Where Have You Been?
Race in Education: Where do I Begin? Here’s to aboriculturists and gardeners with their bags of seeds and magic tricks, because… read more
The Precariat
Montréal Serai included two of my poems in their latest issue. In the following editorial excerpt, Prasun Lala introduces… read more
What Third Eye?
What Third Eye? Approaching a horse on the side of the road, crows on its back, tearing its flesh… read more
Scratching My Head
July 20th Forest Hills Library Open Mic
Come out and read a poem or sing a song! I’ll be featured for 20 minutes and plan to deliver… read more
Trumpian Laughter
After reading about Trump’s proposed 2018 federal budget for discretionary expenditures, I wanted to laugh but simply couldn’t. Currently,… read more
Welcome to My Father’s Day
The following poems are from an unpublished manuscript titled, Snakes and Ladders. There are Fellow Travelers and then There are… read more
Without a Grain of Salt
As a follow-up to my post of Paradise Lost: Borikén on Tuesday, I intuitively felt the need to mention PEN… read more
PEN: Defending Free Expression
A TOOLKIT FOR WRITERS AND READERS Behind Bill’s Hobby Shop Window there’s a silence in my voice…… read more
Paradise Lost: Borikén:
The New York City Puerto Rican Day Parade is on June 11th; but as a member of the island’s diaspora,… read more
Late America
Painting by Eric Fischl at Skarstedt followed by an ekphrastic poem. Late America Daddy, enough with the… read more
Flash! I will be reading May 11th for…
The Boundless Tales Reading Series. It will be a pleasure to join Anne Born, Debra Emin, and John Esposito. Aida… read more
Allen Ginsberg (June 6, 1926-April 7, 1997)
As a Brooklyn College MFA student from 1996 to 1998, I was extremely fortunate to know Allen as my teacher… read more
Dialogical Discourse to Creativity and Liberation in the Introductory Poetry Workshop
This is where I was two years ago. Feel free to build or burn your own bridges with this brief… read more
In a Bottle or a Teacup Today?
In a Bottle or a Teacup Today? Asked about his fighting philosophy, Bruce Lee said flow… read more
Where Will The Words Go Now?
Where Will The Words Go Now? Where will the words go now, when abnormal is being normalized, and journalists… read more
A Tennis Poem: Old School Sweating
A Tennis Poem: Old School Sweating I was trained to watch the ball— the back in the day… read more
For The New Archaics
Recruitment in The Northwest Gallery Tonight This painting calls me in for more of thunderous blasts and… read more