Raven and I have been out of touch in a long time.

He's still in Mexico. I am in Caracas.

Will post the latest political stuff later. Despite the complete nonsense going on here with bogus protests for the non-renewal of RCTV's concession, I am poking through the museums and starting to write poems again.

ARTIST'S STUDIO 6 a.m.

Caracas, Venezuela
May 31, 2007


In the Museum
of Contemporary Arts
I walk slowly past
a group of wooden figures--
Homage to Velazquez;

their painted eyes track
me as I run smack into
the canvas wall of
"Artist's Studio 6 a.m.".
Falling with the morning sun

more than 40 years
into the Seattle past,
the 2nd floor pre-
renewal Maynard Building--
I awake in our brass bed,

start a new life in
a parallel universe.
Our 12 foot ladder
stretches out of the painting,
ratcheting me skyward now

above the spattered
palettes, hot plates, the old chair
swivelling in front
of our dreams--some battered, some
flattened--others almost new-