memory man
volume two
By Donald Cohen
Poetry, 176 pages
ISBN: 978-1-59948-178-4
$14.95
This is Volume One of a three volume set. The books may be ordered separately for $14.95 each or as a 3-Pack collection and can be found on the Pure Heart Press page of the MSR Online Bookstore.
Preface / Samples / About the Author
The famous psychiatrist Carl Jung spoke about the first half of life, during which you concentrate on establishing your existence in the outside world. He theorizes, once this is accomplished it is important to develop your inner life; the beginning of a spiritual quest and ones search for meaning. At age forty-five I entered my second half of life and discovered poetry, and my capacity to feel humanity without trepidation. The language of poetry has allowed me to embrace the journey within myself, and traverse boundaries of the undiscovered self.
I began opening my heart to inspiration that risked leaving old ways of being. Shaking up ones foundation can feel like you are living on the edge, risking everything familiar. Jung states that as you commit yourself to the process of individuation, meaningful coincidences occur that are beyond cause and effect. As a result came many connections and memories that created a tapestry of words, expressing metaphors for life. This is the story of the memory man.
memory man
in his four walls
lie the secrets
of his friends
tiny pieces
of memories
shards of sea glass
shrines of times
passed
lifes joyful
and tragic moments
pieces of places
cherished artifacts
angels watching
paintings dropping
futures connect
past arrives
cat watching
still quiet
comforting the broken
he shares them all
be careful now
dont touch that
he sees the spirit
living breathing
he protects them all
seeking forgiveness
a room of confessions
contained within his pieces
the human being comes
forth and runs away
the soldiers come
marching
the unicorn rests
history emerges
the beatles sing
james brown screams
sponge bob laughs
a part of you he keeps
smell of woods
leather couches
magazines
peaceful
the memory manMlf 1/15/04
~Mary Feakins to Donald Cohen
Samples
Coney Island Calling Coney Island
Once upon a night
Steeplechase, Cyclone
No cell phone
Alone
Lords of Flatbush
Baseball icons
Standing tall
Colorful
Playing for the thrill of fall
Roy Rogers, Ginger Rogers
Those good old Brooklyn Dodgers
Boys of summer
Back in town
Ferris wheel swirling round and round
Starving for my subway hero
Secretly undercover, playing Robert DeNiro
Oh so hungry
At the movie feeling groovy
Rocking in my chair
Being there with Fred Astaire
A go for the triple feature show
In my Moulin Rouge
Subway Hero drenching me over
Bathing thoughts of crimson and clover
Lost island
Mermaid parade
A romp from the swamp
Discovered, recovered
Flying my kite,
Feeling alright
Insight in flight
Playing Luna Park
Night feeling free to be with me
Souls out to see
Walking in on a medley of love
In my Moulin Rouge
Loving my little boy tucking his baseball inside
Softly breaking in his first glove
Sleeping beside
Heart not burning
With love returning
Kid is back
Child in me
Hugging she
Letting it be
Forgetting the fee
Clock strikes twelve
The show must go on, and on, and on
Nighttime peeking beyond
Leaving behind
Picture show rewinds
Taking home my Subway Hero
No longer undercover Robert DeNiro
Coming home
To my own
Calling
Coney Island
Once upon a night
Basking in my homemade arcade(June 27, 2001) Foggy Night Looking for the light
Driving home in fright
No clearing in sight
Holding my mental picture tight
On that foggy nightPassing the home
In the zone
Roaming thoughts
Caught in my moment
Me as my opponent
Missing home
All alone
Wandering in, I play you
You are me
No longer blue
Falling in love
Life by the stars above
A glow through my window
Moon walking and talking
Slow dancing to music on the radio
Meeting my secret
Misty, mystical
Notes
The foghorn plays
Shrouded in soft silent light
Romantic roaming clouds
In that foggy night
Catching my heart unglued
Looking through her eyes of blue
Becoming my night light
Softly brightening
Feeling less frightening
Passion in silence enlighteningInto my destiny
With organic chemistry
Knew I grew in mood
Unraveled in mental nude
Exposed, somewhat composedFinding my way
If only to say
Can no longer stay
Living my life in tones of grey
Clear sky ahead
Future without dread
No more asking why
Need to say goodbye
No more dating
Anticipating
Being in my bed soul mating
Not bogged down
Home free to see above the fogGetting high
Bluebird flying in the sky
Riding my horse
Clouds lifting
Me shifting
Following my course
In the rising sun
Having fun, no longer on the run
Resting, investing
Bowing to my here and now
Pining in my mind
Sensual dancing to Layla
Loping and hoping
Like a man on his carousel
Under a spell
No longer the same
Calling her name
You as I
And I as you
Seeing the she
In mercurial me
Embracing the miracle of going full circle
Fallen off for too long
Without my song
The tattle is I am over the battle
Back on the saddle
Round and round I go
To know
My own reap and sow
Solid ground in sight
Found the light on that foggy night(March 7, 2004)
About the Author
Donald Cohen was born in New York in 1951 where he spent his childhood. He graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Cohen went on to earn his M.S.W. at Columbia University and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology, located in Berkley, California. He returned to the East Coast to complete his fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University Medical Center, as well as to begin his private practice. The author has also created, produced, and hosted the weekly television and radio show, Kids are Talking. He is a licensed marital and family therapist, and has had various articles published over the years while conducting lectures and workshops on subjects related to children, particularly communication. He is the co-author of My Father, My Son and a childrens book Milo, My Stray Cat. In addition Cohen is the producer and lyricist for the rock band the GIVE. He is the co-creator of the self-titled acoustic CD, as well as the GIVELive at the Acoustic Café. Both are available on iTunes. The poet and his wife Dee have two children and reside in Connecticut.