I've decided to create a page where I can link to various writing efforts.  It might motivate me to get around to doing more writing.  I had a small collection of poems, plays and short stories when I was younger, but I'm not sure where they are - when I stumble across them I'll load them here. 

    The first entry is a poem. I thought of is as a song at first, and you can see the notes for my musical concept here; but I haven't created music for it, and the stanzas don't scan well as lyrics - they're inconsistent in length, which isn't the kiss of death for a poem, but makes a fit with musical arrangement a little difficult.

Chocolate Lament

Under a fierce, angry sun, a child falls under his cocoa sack

Cocoa tree branches and bicycle chains      scar his back

Mali child in the Côte d'Ivoire,

Eleven years old, four foot tall,

The cocoa bean sack is more massive than you

Whip the boy...misery makes joy. Says Le Gros,

"I'm not an evil man; this child is part of my family"

Umbundu child in São Tomé, chocolate child       chocolate slave

Don't call for your mother - she is far away. Your cries will drown in the crashing wave

400 harvested cocoa pods make one pound of dark sweet delight

On Easter morning, the angelic blond sprite

Laughs and runs in the northern garden, giggling in search of her Easter treat

tears and sweat          bitter sweet        dark chocolate meat

The moon slinks away in the western light
Mali child doesn't see her; he is locked up for the night
Corn paste and burnt bananas on his plate