...and they lived happily ever after. Smith & Lady: poets, artists, photographers & adventurers.
Our relationship was forged to the soundtrack of Yoko Ono's magic,
frenetic, love-laden song, "Walking On Thin Ice." ( play song )
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There’s less to say
these winter dark days
as thoughts grim dim
rise from ache to mind
mime unfair despair
cuz sun don’t shine
and mortality’s not only there
but DANGER BEWARE
signs on reality everywhere
road slip ice askew
nasty nip of below zero blues
sez way past time
to improve my process
purify proceeding
cuz everything you do
preludes to something
everything you do
leads to something else
time to change the same game
beneath this old placenta moon
this already was
of wasn’t
Tonight’s occupy Cleveland General Assembly meeting – foto Smith
Just stood in the cold for an hour for tonight’s Occupy Cleveland General Assembly so Lady could offer a proposal to help slow down a bank evicting a woman with cancer. It was 29 degrees Fahrenheit but felt like 16 according to weather.com. It’s going down to 20 tonight – what’s that going to feel like . . . 7 degrees?
Tonight’s hour out in the freeze and blow hurt my feet, hands, neck, and ears. How do these young adults stay out there 24 hours a day 7 days a week manning the open Occupy Cleveland info tent without heat, without tents, without sleeping bags, without electricity, without gas to cook hot food?
I know their youth makes them stronger, sturdier, able to acclimate and endure more. And I know their protesting our country’s rigged money game is going to be one of the moral highlights of their lives, perhaps one of the most important things they’ll ever do for themselves, and us. But still, it’s so cold, bitter.
Lady tries to make it a wee bit better every morning by taking down 4 hot egg and cheese sandwiches for them (or a quiche and fried potatoes, or this morning it was a Spanish omelet) plus a large thermos of coffee one day, cocoa the next (all of which is seriously damaging our low income budget and is forcing us to shop at the Great Satan Wal-Mart so we can afford supplies),
The 8-14 constant info tent occupiers (who refer to themselves as the Troglodytes) wanted December 24th off to rest and shower and drink and party and get warm so Lady decided she would start her 39th birthday off by having us take the 5am to 10am shift.
We started off comfortable and warm in the 29 degree cold, but as the hours pass, the heat seeps from your body and cold creeps in. We spent most the time huddling on the heated sidewalk around the steam grate trying to keep various body parts warm — something I’ve seen the homeless do for years.
By 10am when our relief shift was to arrive I was cold, miserable and more than ready to go home, so of course our relief didn’t show up. Three hours later at 1pm a couple of the regulars returned and we took off. But that 8 hour shift in the cold on the concrete gave me a whole new appreciation for what these occupiers are doing.
And they needn’t have to. Cleveland’s Mayor Frank Jackson is just being petty, pissy, shitty in denying them electricity, heat, tents, sleeping bags, sleep, cooking while hoping that the elements will defeat us where his police mercenaries can’t.
This is especially galling because Cleveland lets Christmas shoppers set up tents in parking lots so they can camp out over night to be first in line for the Big Box Store sales, and they let the Cleveland Brown fans have grills and fire barrels for their illegal tailgate parties, so Mayor Jackson is selectively enforcing city laws — if breaking them benefits his Corporate masters, he looks the other way; but if breaking them involves free speech and the use of our civil rights which embarrass his Corporate owners, he has his SWAT team arrest us.
According to the recent U.S. census, one of every two Americans is slipping into poverty, while less than 1% of the rich own 90% of this country’s wealth – in fact 6 of the Wal-Mart descendants own more wealth then 50 million Americans combined.
This is sick. Just plain wrong. And very shortsighted.
Occupy Wall Street has changed the conversation in this country. Before OWS, this gargantuan disparity in wealth was seldom mentioned in the news; now it is talked about everywhere.
And if the rich and corporations and politicians listen and heed and actually do something about this grotesquely unfair rigged con-game that brings such disparity, we can turm America into a nation we can finally be proud of. If they don’t, then blood will run from boardrooms and mansions into the streets, as it morally should.
Making things fairer might also turn out to be financially more rewarding and definitely physically safer for the elite.
The rich need to realize there are repercussions to their theft and lawlessness. It is in their best interest to start paying their taxes, start paying their employees decent wages, establish universal free healthcare and education, and to stop raping the Earth.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I will remember Mayor Frank Jackson’s corporate ass kissing actions when I walk into the voting booth next election and vote for anyone but Frank Jackson. And that includes any other politician I get to vote on who is not actively supporting Occupy Wall Street.
People and politicians forget that protesters changed the racist segregation laws in this country, forced Nixon to get out of Viet Nam, forced men to give women the vote, forced slave owners to free their slaves. Principles and protest and persevering actions and dedication can and has changed things for the better.
temporary remains of Occupy Cleveland day 17 – foto by Smith
Notes from Occupy Cleveland Live Video Feed 10.21.2011
10pm
more than a dozen cop cruisers
five police vans
and an EMS vehicle arrive
cruisers block off streets
police drag couple people off
arrest and toss into van
SWAT team shows up in riot gear
not used due to non-violent crowd
200 people chant “LET THEM GO! LET THEM GO!”
begin arresting civil disobedience protesters in park
massive police presence
black shields black helmets black truncheons black boots
not used because crowd peaceful
chants of “So this is what a police state looks like”
“Occupy. Organize. Together we are one they cannot divide”
“Shame Shame Shame”
11:10pm rate of arrests speed up
“The whole world is watching”
protesters discover undercover cop filming them
cop runs away like coward
video sound disappears
I hear firm foreign female voice crisply say
“Governor Bashir is missing, refusing to engage in multiple debates”
Google and find it’s from Australia
sound returns
everyone in park arrested
for trespassing in a public park in Public Square after curfew
around a dozen busted
Erin arrested last
four cops carrying her face down by arms legs
over 100 protesters march to Justice Center
to demand accounting
appears closed
11:38pm video replaced by live Occupy Wall Street NYC march
11:59pm peek shows live foreign protest footage in sunlight somewhere
whole world protest
await next crisis point 6am when last permit runs out
7am no live Occupy Cleveland video
drive down with hot cocoa
seach 4 quadrants of Public Square
empty
check Old Stone Church who’d promised sanctuary
no answer
go to Justice Center
nada
go to police station
get visiting hours
protesters in jail until arraigned Monday morning
after Friday night arrest
back to Public Square
organizer Ben sitting alone on bench
foning for data
regrouping
a dozen stragglers trickle in
drink our hot cocoa
plan today’s marches
plan more protests
more occupation
more civil disobedience
newspaper and TV news show up
we leave
await stage 2
power to the peaceful
shame on police clearing park for Huntington Bank
praise citizens standing on their legal rights
vote Mayor Jackson out of office
and put him on trial for class warfare
malfeasance in office
violating Constitution
and treason
— Smith, 10.22.2011
Whoa. Went down this morning to give the occupiers hot cocoa. Everything’s been cleared away. Here’s yesterday’s scene
Occupy Cleveland yesterday – foto by Smith
Here is this morning.
Occupy Cleveland this morning – foto by Smith
This work crew putting up the Christmas lights for Huntington Bank is why protesters were kicked out of park and arrested.
Occupy Cleveland this morning – foto by Smith
Last night’s Memorial for Robert Dick Head Ritchie in the park was special. Blog it tomorrow.
There will be a memorial to Robert “Dick Head” Ritchie tonight at 7:30pm in Lincoln Park, Tremont (aka the closest West Side neighborhood to downtown Cleveland, Ohio).
This afternoon we’ll be down on Public Square supporting the upcoming possible troubles for the Occupy Cleveland occupiers. Their protest permit allowing camping on Public Square runs out at 6am tomorrow morning.
But trouble could start tonight at 10pm because that’s when Cleveland’s downtown 10pm curfew goes into effect. The curfew seems illegal to me; just how does a politician decide that the citizens they represent are not allowed to be in their own public park after certain times?
Anyway. It is my understanding Cleveland has decided NOT to renew the protesters’ camping permit. From what I heard at last night’s meeting, it appears Huntington Bank, which is paying for the Public Square Christmas light displays, doesn’t want the dirty protesters to mess up their pretty light display and maybe scare away the visiting suburbanites and out-of-town tourists. Seems to me for the sake of not displeasing a Corporation, city council will deny its citizens their legal right to protest.
Some of the protesters may not be leaving. Don’t ask me which ones because I don’t know. That is between them and their conscience. If I were not achy and creaky in my bones and married with cat, I would be down there myself being civilly disobedient.
So folk, we REALLY need your support today. Starting at 1pm there’ll be a music and speechifying party celebration down in Public Square. Everyone who shows up will be one more person City Council, the Mayor and Huntington Bank will have to factor into their decisions.
If you wish to be most effective as a civilian people shield, show up at 10pm tonight when the curfew runs out and/or 6am tomorrow morning when the protest camp permit expires.
The city is threatening to confiscate their tents and possessions tomorrow morning unless we the people speak out now and loudly. You can also call your city council person and Mayor Jackson as well to let them know you want our government to reflect the will of the people and their Constitutional right to protest the actions of their government.
There is a bit of good news. The Old Stone Church, the oldest building on Public Square, has a long history of siding against social injustice and has offered to let the protesters occupy their church if the cops kick them out of Public Square.
Have no idea what’s going to happen. We’ll find out when we take tomorrow morning’s food down to them and see if they’re still there. Can’t be with them tonight because I’ve got to give Robert’s eulogy in the park.
We need to occupy people’s minds as well as our cities.
The Occupy Cleveland people ran out of water and propane last night and are low on food and need donations this morning.
They also need access to an industrial drier because all their clothes and blankets are somewhere between damp and wet.
They have 3 large canisters of propane but need some sort of hose coupling that would let them refill the small canisters from the large ones, if anyone has one.
And of course they need blankets, warm clothes.
Any little thing you drop off is really appreciated because it lets them know those not occupying appreciate what those that are doing.
They’re occupying for themselves, their own needs, but they are also occupying for us, because we’re all getting screwed by the powers that be — the Corporations.
Here’s their official NEEDS list:
Here’s their most current list of items that the Public Square occupiers need. Drop them off anytime during the day.
Bedding
======
Mats
Pillows
Blankets
Tents
Tarps
Sanitation
=======
Wash laundry
Hand sanitizer
Towels
Clothing
======
Socks
Long Underwear
Warm coats
Food
====
Any and all food donations are welcome
If needed, cook food before you bring it
Vegetarian dishes
Cooler Ice
Coffee
A tea kettle that whistles
Water
Medical Supplies
============
Cough and cold medicine
Ibuprofen
Misc
====
Tupperware
Water Proof Storage Bins
Willkie talkies
The Occupy Cleveland occupiers’ area – fotos by Smith
Over the weekend, Occupy Cleveland put out a call for blankets, pillows, and cardboard because the concrete sidewalk they’re sleeping on gets cold and hard at night, so Lady made them a pot of black bean soup yesterday and we took down a few pillows, blankets, sweaters, and cardboard and got a big hug from Liberty in return (the guy in the camouflage coat and V for Vendetta mask 3rd foto from bottom).
The 31 occupiers from Thursday night grew to 62 occupiers Saturday night, then shrank to the hardcore 31 last night, who say they’re there for the long haul. They are dug in, well supported, cheerful, and non-violent.
Lady brought them a pitcher of hot cocoa this morning and we got another hug from Liberty, who seems to be running the occupation portion.
Erin (in the foto below with Liberty) said they need small tents, canvas, tarps, anything to protect them from the on-coming rain. I asked if that were legal and she said the police are being friendly, talking with them and treating them nicely, even trying to help with their marches and all if they have the man power, so the occupiers are not worried about being hassled for small anti-rain structures under 10′ x 10′.
Yesterday the number of people listening to the music and speeches seems to have grown. So now we just have to wait to see what happens as the novelty wears off, the weather worsens, the legal protest permits run out, and the authorities get snitty (as authorities sometimes do when questioned). Occupy Cleveland is trying to extend their permits, but are planning on staying no matter what.
Cleveland sunrise Lake Erie July 28, 2010 – foto by Smith
(Men) Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze
(Women) Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears
(from the play Fiddler on the Roof - 1964 – music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, book by Joseph Stein)
[ interesting juxtaposition - the men sing of young daughters growing up beautiful while growing away (harvested by others), while the women sing the endless cycle of joy and pain ]
First of July, wife and I and a slew of relatives and friends went out on a boat on Lake Erie and watched the sun set over the water and I got some gorgeous fotos.
Got more today (in reverse) because we got up at 4 in the morning (which is the title of a great, sad, slow, sentimental, sorta sappy soap opera song by Leonard Cohen I used to drool over) and drove down to the lake to watch the sun rise. Got there early because the sky begins to lighten about an hour before official sunrise (6:18 this morn).
We were alone on the beach except for a lone female duck that followed us around talking to us, and eventually an aggressive gang of seagulls who felt the predawn dock was theirs.
Right at sunrise, another photographer appeared. Don’t know what he got, but here’s my morning.
Cleveland sunrise Lake Erie July 28, 2010 – fotos by Smith
Harvey Pekar page from ArtCrimes #4, 12 & 21 – fotos by Smith
Time to feed from the dead.
Harvey Pekar, 70 years old, creator of the American Splendor comic book and co-star of the American Splendor movie, died yesterday in his Cleveland Heights home.
I always thought I’d meet Harvey because I was friends with a good number of his friends and Harvey was in three issues of my art/poetry journal ArtCrimes, but it never happened – we were both too anti-social.
Pekar was in ArtCrimes #4 (1988), #12 (1992) and #21 (2006).
He appeared in 4 and 12 because poet Daniel Thompson — his good friend and my co-editor for those two issues — asked him to contribute work, and he appeared #21 because it was the last ArtCrimes and I asked his artist friend Gary Dumm to inquire if it’d be okay for me to re-print it.
Actually it was a re-re-printing because Pekar put the same page in all three issues.
When I watched the movie American Splendor it was like watching a replay of everywhere I’d been in Cleveland, and most of the folk I’d been there with – in fact my friend poet Daniel Thompson appeared in several stories of American Splendor.
So so-long Harvey. You did Cleveland proud, and you called General Electric the Great Satan to its face on its own David Letterman TV show. Way to go.
Here are a couple decent news articles on his passing.
