Trails Through the Greenbelt

Hello everybody, our site was down for a little while, but we are back!  TTtG made some money, and since this has always been a non-profit venture, the proceeds will go to benefit The Verrazano Foundation.  This is the organization responsible for the Lavelle Prep School for children with mental difficulties.  This is a cause that would be near and dear to a number of people in the community, and TTtG will definitely offer its support.  To find out more about the organization, click here.

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Thanks to a coworker, I finally found an obituary for Rebecca.  I know it’s nine months past, but it was worth mentioning in my mind.  Here’s a poem that was torn from her notebook:

—–

Right now

I sit

Right now

I listen

Right now

I watch

Right now

I’m thinking

Right now

I observe people

Right now

I cry inside

Right now

I cry outside

I pray to G-d

Right now

I wish for a better day

Right now

I hope and pray

My wish comes true

—–

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I’d really like to thank Kim for plugging TTtG in her latest video.  This is the link right here.

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Life has gotten in the way of a lot of things, but I do have some changes to make.  Basically, my friend and fellow artist/writer Kimberly Birkland has some info changes.  I will update her YouTube site ASAP.  She also has a variety of eBooks about her experiences with mental illness that I think you should check out on her website.  Also, we are very close to getting to our goal.  We are 94% of the way to making back the investment.  This is a not-for-profit venture, so while I can’t afford to compensate all of the authors, I will say that if and when we make a profit, the monies earned will go to a worthy cause.  And no, the cause is not the Send Jack to Sleepaway Camp Fund LOL.  If anybody has any ideas, feel free to e-mail me at jfreedman@si.rr.com, and I will take any and all ideas into consideration.  Thank you.

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Doug and I now have videos uploaded to YouTube.  Doug is NewAgeTroubadour and I am lennon10314.  Check us out.  Also, I apologize for not updating this sooner.  Life happens when we’re busy making other plans after all.  In any case, we will plan more events when it is convenient for all of us to get together.  We’re not doing too bad, since we’re very close to reaching our goal and making back the money from our investment in this project.  I have faith that it will be done.  If Barack Obama can become president, surely we can make a profit and decide how we’re going to use the money earned.

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We have disabled comments by virtue of a spam overload.  Believe me, it’s a real bitch.  Props to Jen for attempting to alleviate this situation without having to disable the comments.  However, if you want to offer feedback, drop me a line at my e-mail address.

Anyhow, I’d like to take this time to promote a recent friend of mine.  Her name is Kimberly Birkland.  She is from Portland, Oregon and recently put out a book called “The End of the Beginning: A memoir of a Silent Childhood.”  I’ve yet to receive the book, but since I’m her first customer, I’m getting a special copy in the mail.  If you want to check out her eBook, I suggest going to http://www.kimberlybirkland.com and click on the eBook link.  From there you will be taken to a PayPal site where you can purchase these memoirs.  No doubt, there will be a link to her site in the blogroll.  In addition, she is also a vlogger on YouTube, so I definitely suggest checking out http://www.youtube.com/bipolarsurvivorback as well.  She vlogs mostly about her experiences with bipolar disorder, how people with mental illnesses can help themselves, and occasional commentary on current events.  Major props to Kim for providing such a valuable service to the online recovery community.  Her work (poetry and articles), as well as an interview I conducted with her will be published in future editions of NYC Voices.  This is Jack signing off for now.

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We have a whole new set of links that we will be including on our site.  These are all links pertaining to TTtG in one form or another.  Along with the links featuring Jen, Doug, and myself, links will also be provided to those who have been good to TTtG, including organizations, papers, and stores carrying the book.  Stay tuned to this site for more links.

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MORBIDITY

by Jack Freedman

 

I. To Bob:

 

Your words
Aroused the mind,
With prose of peace
Deeply penetrating the brain.
Cortexes moan to the sound of your voice,
Laced with imagery,
Depicting the nirvana
Most of us never achieve.
Your tall tales of triumph
Outnumber true tales of turmoil:
The passing of your wife
Months after your eternal bond,
Firsthand visions of injustice
During your mandatory service of bloodshed,
The shelter you lacked,
The refuge you sought in the woods,
And the drugs you struggled to kick.
Though you suffered greatly,
I was honored by your withered smile.
I vividly remember
Colorful images of leafy euphoria
Between exchanges of vocal viewpoints
And I enjoyed our long conversations
As we sailed along the river.
Without hesitation and regret,
I donated everything I could give to you.
What I gave was always enough.
It is unknown
As to where your soul lies,
Whether it be under the sun
Or within the clouds,
But your legacy continues
To walk this planet forever.

 

II. To Dan:

 

Ninja with a tortured soul.

We joked that you would never live

To be a dirty old man.

Some said you were in a dimension

Possessed by souls with artificial intelligence.

In certain cases,

They were not far from the truth.

The throes of schizophrenia

Could have very well been

An overactive mind

Racing at 150 miles per hour

On Route 278

Heading towards the bowels of drudgery

That no mind could manufacture.

But the cancers of poverty,

Aimless directions,

And bad luck

Steered you off base.

You needed a home,

A place you could call your own,

Not psychiatric wards or crack dens.

If what they say is true

And home is where the heart is,

Surely your family possessed it.

I know you realized that.

You must have.

It’s just too damn bad that

It came too late

And your mind raced no more.

When you melded with metal

Your body soared like William Tell’s arrow.

The concrete would have been the apple you pierced

On top of this planet’s head

Housing an eroding psyche.

We haven’t forgotten about you,

For I have inscribed your legacy in ink

Bound by the words of your peers,

Many of whom could relate to your inner struggles.

God speed my friend.

 

III. To Rebecca:

 

If Neil Young kept searching for a heart of gold

Surely he would find yours.

I wish I knew more about you

Before you crossed into the light

As Aurum auricles ached.

I found personality traits

Through terse verses of poetry,

Sharing happy moments,

Wonderful places,

And a realization of your unique views on life.

Just as I found your writings

You found a voice through them

And it was amplified by an ISBN number.

In true form,

An interpretation

Of your words

Would be unveiled

Like the tombstone that marks your place in this world.

Possibly,

They might be scattered across the elements,

Infernos initiate the induction into infinity

As wind sweeps you into the atmosphere,

With the possibility

That you may land in a pond or field.

But surely,

You’ve made your mark,

And I am happy

That I helped you in your ventures.

————

This poem is called, “Morbidity.”  This serves as a tribute to three friends in my life.  Bob (AKA Virginia Bob) went missing several years ago and we haven’t heard from him since.  Ideally, he would have been in the collection.  My first book, Serotonin Seas, was dedicated to him.  Dan is the person that TTtG is dedicated to.  His untimely death involved him getting hit by a car.  Rebecca is featured in the book, and as mentioned in a previous blog, she died this year from a heart attack. Surely, if another book is written, it will be dedicated to her.  They will be missed, but thankfully their legacies have been scribed.

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This book was edited by Jack M. Freedman and illustrated by Jane Butters.

It delights me to see that Staten Island writers have congregated to accumulate, publish, and disperse poetry, artwork and literary works by Staten Island artists by eclectically assorted ethnic backgrounds. Personally, this is a progressive advancement, considering that Staten Island is realizing its own potential in unmasking the many faces and cultures, particularly of the Stapleton populous, despite the media’s betrayal of Staten Island as a Guido-run, mafia settlement.

This artistic compilation spans from Jessica Banta’s Recovery poem, which compares mental illness to an erratic, driven river and Angela Zerega’s Crash Into My Words, a narrative poem which describes one’s struggle with identity, loneliness, and belonging with naturalistic imagery to Melanie Rei’s Surreal poem which captures her transcendental experience, of and relating to the mystery and solitude of nature.

I particularly enjoyed Banta’s simplistic and innocent descriptive poem called the Stale Air/the Hospital Experience. In this poem, Banta draws from the “waiting” one experiences in mental institution confinement. Though most may discern that a mental patient is criminal or dangerous, Banta renders the patient’s vulnerable and helpless point of view, focusing on the endlessness of longing and feelings of unfullfillment.

Tom Weiss, a political activist/freelance writer is a strong advocate and contributor to these compilations. Weiss uses his brilliant mastery of the English language to describe the indifference of government in helping Katrina survivors in his poem called The Girl with the Russian Name.

The book is pleasantly bordered with amateur art, of psychedelic flowers blooming. The general artwork of Jane Butters adds to the personal, journalistic feel of what is written. There are some illustrations by Mitchell Trupia, which illuminates demonic and perverse expressions of human faces. There is one particular illustration by Mitchell Trupia in the book that provokes feelings of crowding and vice. On the bottom of the picture borders a question, which is written backwards: “be fruitful and multiply?”

Overall, the poetry and the general mood of the compilation is skeptical, pain – ridden, and abrasive. This is the anger of Staten Islander’s who strive for change. I would say that this book is a step in the right direction: a fundamental compilation in addressing the internal strivings and community of Staten Island. This is a testament and the celebration of those who can rightfully articulate their personal experiences and proclaim freedom to share such things.

———-

Major thanks to Jaclyn for writing this.  She is a highly talented singer/songwriter from Staten Island and for further proof of her talent, visit http://www.myspace.com/jaclynshaw  

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There’s a new organization on Staten Island and it is known as SICOLAB.  SICOLAB, which stands for Staten Island Collaboration, is a forum for which artists throughout Staten Island can network with one another.  One of the major events that is taking place here on Staten Island that this organization is putting together is called Bridge The Gap.  This event serves as a means of bringing together artists of all disciplines from all parts of Staten Island.  It runs from 11AM to 8PM on Saturday, September 20th.  TTtG authors are encouraged to come!

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