Joy Leftow's Blog, page 25

Paper Blues

I've got the blues about paper today I walk around my house examining notes, short stories,

papers from high school written in long hand looking through papers to throw awayThinking about days long gone when we learned to write script

My mind jumps ahead: future generations where no one will know how to write script. Writing by hand will disappear except for a few who carry on. Handwriting will become a fine transcribed art that no one teaches and that no one knows how to do anymore.

My cabdriver explained how now-a-days, children do their assignments online on the computer so they don't write anything down at all anymore not like we did back in the day. He said they barely learn print they type everything on the computer.

Columbia forced me to buy a typewriter in 1978. They said hand written assignments get lower grades. Hasn't anyone explained this to you before? I mean I 'm sorry to break it down to you like this and feel bad no one told you before that at Columbia. Miz. Leftow, you already lost one grade this term by handing in hand-written homework. You would have gotten a B+ but because it was hand written you only are due a C+. Sorry…

When I explained how poor I was she said you're smart, you're here at Columbia so you'll figure out a way to survive.

Back then all I had was two pairs of jeans a skirt a few blouses and one sweater from the $10 store. I had no money to spend but needed that typewriter. Back then I couldn't conceive a typewriter had a memory so you wouldn't have to typewrite the whole page if you made a mistake.

My cabbie 's conversation brings me back. He's telling me how hard it is to get by with four children, two are teenagers. The only way they get by is because his wife lies and says he doesn't live there so she can get food stamps Medicaid and section 8, he said as he drove his Lincoln Town Car working paying for High Class radio service trying to make a buck. It ain't easy out here and that rent we pay would cost us 2100 instead of the 900 we pay and in this way we get by he confided.

Four children and us and two cats. I show the vet our Medicaid card he continued and then we don't pay. Medicaid for cats is good he said. We're doing the best we can to get by and she works on the side too. My wife's a certified home health nursing aide and she gets work a few days a week at a hospital up in the Bronx. After they take out the taxes it's about 50 bucks for a 12-hour day then she got to make sure it don't get in the way of watching out for our children so thank God she doesn't work everyday.

It gives her time off to cook and clean house and watch over our teens and younger children. We pay for catholic school – and they have to go to college. There's no jobs out there you know. We try to get by – but it's hard to qualify. That's why she wants to work too. She works off the books. There's just too many bills to pay. You know growing children need clothes and shoes - those are expensive.

It's a different world out there, my cabby alerts me that the ride and story have come to an end. I look around me at all the paper, the notes and each piece of paper seems to have so much meaning I don't know how to throw it out.

They don't do things the way they used to. My cabbie is a young man. He's only 42. His radio comes alive. A voice asks his location in Spanish.

It's a lot to chew on. I think about all the finagling I did to get by twenty-two years working professionally to help our young – a noble job made harder by the huge bureaucracy I functioned in.

I wanted a house but it went into foreclosure but I still have my state subsidized Mitchel-Lama. They're hard to come by now-a-days and they don't intend to build more. Now the Mitchel-Lama rentals are so high that when people don't lie and they tell the truth about who lives where no one can afford to live anywhere anymore.

In Washington Heights where I live most of the people survive on a lie because otherwise they'd live so poor they'd be in deep shit .

Worked hard for that money and still

I can't get me no no no no - satisfaction

I will overcome some day

I will overcome some day

I sing misty blue for you todayMisty blue just for you today DaddySing misty for you every day Waiting to hear you say You're coming on home todayMy life's on hold – my mind strays I see you in my mind's eye drinking that Bombay GinSitting alone in a Starbuck's caféKnowing life plays me like a ViolinBut I can't stop myself from hoping there could be a better wayPlease tell me you'll always love me Daddy The way you know that I love youSo please come on home to stayMy soul has turned misty like the weather before the stormWhile it keeps playing the same old songPlay it in reverse today and tomorrow Let me coerce you to come on homeLet your worries disperseThings can't get much worseSo come on home babyWe're going to jam the night away and play new music all day today Daddyuntil the moon wanes in the sky and the sun shines again todaySomeday I will overcome all obstacles put in my way

Compression

We laugh and make jokes about the stockings and me.

I say, "They're holding me together."

He says, questioning me as if I'm not telling the truth or
maybe I don't know, "They're holding you together?"

"Yes, holding me together literally," I repeat.

We both laugh hysterically hardly able to catch our breaths

bursting as though about to explode

We act like this is the first time we laughed at this.

Our laughter is like a rhyme held together by glue and
impending time.

 "They're holding me
together," I repeat and again he repeats after me, "They're holding you
together, " and again we laugh hysterically.




It is better to laugh than cry. Sometimes I cry and laugh at
once because of the absurdity of life. Don't try to anticipate the unexpected.
It can't work. It's a joke on me just like my father before me. Tears stream
and peals of laughter burst through at the same time. I laugh so hard I cry and
cry so hard I laugh. Maintaining mirthfulness merriment helps me get by with a
little help from my friends.




Life plays jokes while I dance through with songs in my head.
The fatuity is not futility. I remain hopeful to a new cause. Each joke has its
own device; No more criticizing –I pray that way – if I refrain so will they. One
crazy white Jewish poet is one of the 99 percent – they're moving everywhere, like
a silent storm creating a new reality, I struggle to see the light, make wrongs
right with the rest of the 99 percent.




I love how they squeeze me tight, expand my sight, I don't
fit it with the left or the right, helps me feel more strong & erect.

"They're holding me together," I tell my dentist.

My dentist replies, "It's good for your circulation."




Another friend asks, "Doesn't it hinder your blood flow?"

"To the contrary," I say, "They improve my blood flow."

"The elastic band on the stocking's top, I mean, will cut
off your blood flow."

"I can wear them all day and they don't bother me. They're helping
to hold me together."

 "Wouldn't it be
better if you wore pantyhose up to your waist?"

"No, my pelvis likes to be free to breathe," I said, "I
prefer these even if later in the day the elastic on top feels tight but that's
after at least eight hours."

"Oh," she replied, "If I had to wear them I'd prefer the other
kind."

You have no idea I thought in my mind but I didn't say out
loud.

"OK," I say out loud, mind on overtime to report, create a
retort.

I don high-quality blue workman's gloves with smooth rubber fingers
and palms I stretch and pull them, almost pure skintight up to my thighs. My
legs enjoy the ride. Umm… Umm.

Holding my craziness and me together forever whenever.

Compression…

Zuccotti Park & Occupy into month two - Links to use!

I have worked hard at compiling this list and although some links are repetitive I have done that so that one doesn't have to search to see the important things. You may wonder why is a poet interested in this? Much of my poetry focuses on the inequities in our society. Moreover I am a licensed clinical social worker and a double alumna of Columbia University which I attended in the Johnson era basically for free since I was a single mom living on welfare and having been through a great deal in my life, I see that things are getting worse and it is harder than ever to make a living and get an apartment to live. Most adults have to share or rent a room. Many people rent out their bedroom and sleep in their living room to survive. Only the scammers and crooks are doing well. The rest of us suffer and try to make do and survive. It is not easy for any of us. That is why I consider myself one of the 99%.



Take your time to go through them and bookmark the ones you like.



These 3 links below are the official "occupy" links.



http://occupywallst.org/



http://occupywallst.org/



http://occupytogether.com/



This following link is to the members of the Occupy Arts and Culture section. Anyone may join.

http://www.occupennial.org/



My published poem can be found here:

http://www.occupennial.org/poetry-and-spoken-word



Adbusters helped support and get the "occupy" movement started.

http://www.adbusters.org/blogs



Kevin Zeese is one of the original organizers in addition to being a lawyer. His blog is an invaluable resource and almost everything you need to know can be found here.

http://october2011.org/statement



Zeese's listing of occupy events can be found at this link including the plan for June 2012 when all United States Occupiers will march and occupy Washington D.C:





http://october2011.org/blogs/kevin-zeese/99-are-standing-everywhere-occupy-together#comment-3036



Zeese also has a wonderful listing for media and Blogs to explore.

http://october2011.org/media



The site below is also a radio station and is one of the best sources of accurate information and news about occupy in addition to Zeese's blog.



http://www.democracynow.org/



Another website new to me called velvet revolution is interesting.



http://www.velvetrevolution.us/newVR



More links to explore:



http://readersupportednews.org/



http://www.breakingcopy.com/occupied-wall-street-journal-issue-2-pdf



http://www.breakingcopy.com/category/news-journalism



Call to Action for Washington D.C. 2012



http://occupywallst.org/forum/a-call-to-action-2012/



http://notanalternative.com/



The Marines are coming:

http://www.in5d.com/occupy-wall-street-the-marines-are-coming-to-protect-the-protestors.html



Other newspapers or sites that maintain an alternative view and support occupy:



http://alternativenewsreport.net/2011/10/23/occupy-everywhere-demands-obamacare/students-in-iran-support-occupy-wall-street-protests_image-2/



http://www.alternet.org/



http://Credo.org



This site below is managed by Mike Palecek. He sends out regular emails and runs a radio interview show in addition to being a publisher. His email is Mike Palecek.

http://www.newamericandream.net/top_button_issue.html



More links to digest:

http://cromalternativemoney.org/index...



http://gothamist.com/



Below is an interesting and inspiring video. Israelis visit Syrian Border speaking out for peace ant social justice and change and peace between the two countries:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x_p7Eksa0k&list=FLhEeHal1VUMF_wfXn001f3w&feature=mh_lolz



Another interesting movie available for free is "Shock Doctrine" by activist Naomi Wolf. Here is an interview with her.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKr_soG4DUA



The entire movie can be seen here.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFF_-BrmRWE



An acquaintance of mine – knowing how sensitive I am about being Jewish told me the 99% are blaming everything on the Jews on Wall Street and Bolling of Fox 5 reported this. I have suffered a great deal of prejudice about my Jewishness my entire life, starting when I was a child and other children called me "Christ killer." Do not believe this propaganda being fed to us to keep us separate and hating one another. I researched this piece of information and discovered that Bolling from Fox 5 did try to smear the Occupy Wall Street movement as anti-Semitic.



Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, responded to Bolling in the New York Times "that while there may have been incidents of anti-Semitism in the movement 'they are not expressing or representing a larger view." Foxman stated, "the movement is not about Jews. ... It's about 'the economy, stupid.'"



http://mediamatters.org/blog/201110270001?frontpage



Having been to Zuccotti and attended many meetings and participated in many dialogues I can honestly report and assure any of you with doubts that in the many times and hours spent with the occupy movement I never experienced any type prejudice.



I am considering doing guided tours and spoke to the person in charge at the welcome desk and they actually need someone who is familiar with the site to do this. I plan to go again to make certain I know where everything is so I can take this position.

For the 99%, for art, for artists, for all. - Blog - A Poem by Joy Leftow

For the 99%, for art, for artists, for all. - Blog - A Poem by Joy Leftow

Zuccotti Park & Occupy into week 4

There's an excellent energy down at occupy wall street and finally demonstrators and occupying citizens are being taken seriously. No one goes hungry and even the homeless have joined them.



The first time I was there, I'd just lost my health insurance because my ex dropped me when he lost his job. We'd both signed our divorce stipulation where he'd agreed to cover me until the divorce. Without telling me anything then, he dropped me when he was fired from his job. I went down to the employee benefits board on Rector Street and explained my dilemma as a retiree. They agreed to reinstate me from the first of the month when I explained my concerns that I had seen several doctors that month already without realizing I wasn't covered. After finishing I decided to walk about since I am rarely in that part of the city. I looked at the world trade center and decided to get a salad. After finishing my salad I looked out the window and saw there was a crowd in the square facing me.



Entering the square I looked around me and it seemed the park had been overtaken by homeless. I found myself standing next to a young lady with blond hair who appeared very business like. I started a conversation. "Are there a lot of homeless people who have moved into this park?" I asked, this only being day two of the occupy movement and not knowing anything.

The young woman who was dressed in a plain gray skirt and blouse with a jacket looked at me and laughed at my question. "We are demonstrating here," she said. "We're the 99 percent who have nothing because the 1 percent have it all. What better place to protest than here where it starts? I guess though to answer your question, there are many young people who can't get work and since they can't get work they figure they may as well get a head start with claiming a spot since pretty soon there's going to be a lot more of us homeless than before with degrees and all. So many have moved here so they have a place to be."



We discussed the possibility of a performance space and I promised to research their cause since I liked what I heard. I hung out for several hours walking around and checking out the boobs which were nice to see and wrote down the website, occupywallstreet.com, intending to google it when I got home. Over the next few days I kept expecting to hear something on the news but it never happened. I decided to revisit and bring my poetry hoping there would be the performance space. And it just so happened that the stage was on when I got there. I signed my name and performed. The audience was great and there was no one drink minimum or entrance fee and they all screamed "encore!" For the first time in years I felt hopeful about our political state of mind. The country has turned into us the worker bees, being peons, and the big folk take everything we earn except leaving us enough to be strong enough to work for them.





Below are pics taken today.





Below is G. Wagner who displays his sign along with his art and support. Occupy Wall Street is inspiring artists. David Everitt-Carlson 

a homeless blogger getting his point across. Good writing graffiti by homeless blogger.

[image error] We asked for change, we prayed for change, we looked for change but there's been very little. Don't box us in. We need space and freedom to grow.

Don't give to the greedy, give to the needy - yes indeedy! We will overcome!

Jamming the day and night, to bring about peace and change. Occupy all day all week!



This man works as a home health aide but still has to live at a shelter. He works so doesn't qualify for health care or food stamps. When I told him about the "medicaid spend down" he had no clue what  I was speaking of.



The smell of people, incense and pot permeated the air along with hopes and dreams.

Yom Kipper and Russian Bluetry

Oh my father you never had a good life. It's hard for an artist a boy who loves music to be forced to go to work everyday to help support his family and I hear everyday that Jews are rich.

Eleven years old and forced to leave school and go to work; a musician who loved learning, a cruel joke of life. Your entire life lived in fear and the world was a dangerous place. You looked for places to recluse yourself inside your head you hid from the world by living in dreams.

Father I feel for you, a young boy of eleven years old when they told you, Son, we're sorry but you have to help support your family. Dad is dead now so you have to work too.

Forced to work everyday in a drug store in Harlem and then going to school at night so you could finish your Latin and math and be a real pharmacist not just an apprentice. You figured you'd get a pharmaceutical license if you finished your Latin and math so you did. It never really helped though. You lacked focus and your temperament led to arguments with bosses. Then you gave up caring and stopped trying and kept the apprentice license and never got the other even though you performed all the same tasks. You told me you made medicines from scratch using Latin formulas.

 The night you were forced to work late and were told to close up alone but it was too late. There was a violent riot in Harlem that night you were forced to work late. You told me climbing up to a small hidden window high near the ceiling saved your life. A man lay dead in the front while you waited alone till there was no more noise in the street. You told me you waited over 10 hours hidden alone behind that black heavy curtain in the storage room, wondering if you'd get out alive.

Terror and frustration created the monster inside who ate his way out of the hive and proved he was in charge. He beat his first and second wife, she was my mother who suffered greatly too. She had too many problems trying to stay alive to help her children survive.  Her cancer ate her alive. Poor Dad gambled our money away and came home mean and exhausted. If she fought it was worse.

My two sisters my brother, my Dad and my mother all crammed into a one-bedroom apartment.  Even though it wasn't too pleasant, I have a few good memories. Dad played his violin and Uncle Leo came over and played his. They sang songs and tunes they created and accompanied each all day, showing the other what they had made. Uncle Leo's wife went off her rocker and was never the same again. When I saw her she chanted, "They went to Argentina and they think they're great!" talking about Jews who had escaped. Uncle Leo died when I was ten. Poor Daddy went crazy too. I remember when they took him to Bellevue. His mother and sister paid a fine of 2 and a half thousand to get him out. That was the time when he chased the doctor who had removed my mother's breast. Dad brandished a big butcher knife. He claimed he did it because the doctor was having an affair with his wife, my mom. Dad flipped out. I don't think he ever recovered.

Poor Dad –never easy for you- your mother kvetching in Yiddish bragging about her dancing on the Russian Stage but how she gave up everything and left all that behind to make sure you were born here. Lucky for them and you – she had the foresight to see forty years ahead.

Poor Dad, working all day when all you wanted to do was be like your Dad who had accompanied your mom with his violin – the violin became yours. No one ever taught you to play but you played like a pro. Rest in peace Day and may you finally have the safety you craved.

times are tough for the 99 %

Help me speak to Obama for the 99%





I'm
a poor artist surviving on a pension & SS. I'm seeking donations to
go Obama's dinner so I can break things down for how it is for the unprivileged. I would love to have an opportunity to
explain how hard it is for us who will never own a home, for those of us
who live right in the way of people fracking our water supply so that
in several years probably half of us will be dead and those of us who
survive will be diseased. I would definitely like an opportunity to
voice my opinion. I want to tell Obama how it is everyone's basic right
to have adequate medical care food and shelter.



I want
him to know that the poor need an expansion of social welfare programs
like we had in the Johnson era and that he needs to stop giving big pay
outs to people on Wall Street, that he needs to follow President
Roosevelt's tactics when it come to taxing the very wealthy because the
poor can no longer shelter everything plus pay for everything the rich
want.



No one can afford their own apartment anymore. Where are people to go?

There's no jobs and what about the man who makes 23000 and has 3 young children and a wife? He pays taxes and can barely pay the rent.

Things are rough all around for the 99 percent.



For the first times in years - spending some time with the 99% in
Zocotti Park and participating in their activities and sharing their
space, I feel hopeful that sometime in my lifetime
there will be change and more equitable distribution of resources,
jobs, money for food medical care for working poor. I haven't felt this
hopeful in years.



I even got to hang out with Uncle Eddie & Robin
which was great fun. Robin said they'd traveled from West Virginia to
be with their brothers and sisters. Uncle Eddie even accompanied me with
his banjo when I performed the following poem. Very cool people.





Billie's Consumerism Blues





What I find crazy is that none of this is being reported in the news.
I mean why should we know that a grass roots organization has moved
into a park on Wall Street or that this same grass roots population has
the same type demonstrations going on in at least 50 more cities.



Yesterday at occupywallstreet.com I was surprised to learn that this
occupation is going on in other cities simultaneously and somehow
miraculously this news is being kept from our citizenry.


I was really happy to be there today and see so much going on. They
even had a performance corner which I participated in which was great
fun.



A lot of solidarity permeates the air!



Check the link below at Kevin Zeese's blog to see exactly where and spread the word everywhere to everyone you know:



occupy occupy occupy 

This is a great blog for disseminating information.

http://october2011.org/blogs/kevin-zeese/99-are-standing-everywhere-occupy-together



Celebrities Susan Sarandon and Michael Moore visit Zucotti park














http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2042317/Occupy-Wall-Street-Michael-Moore-joins-protesters-New-York.html





























































































occupy wall street all day all week is the chant you hear!

My first short film is now online: "Toss up and Sides again"

Ben Hopper filmed his first short film - check it out! Shot over a period of 2 days using a Canon 5D Mark II during the 18th Israeli Juggling Convention in Gan HaShlosha (Israel) back in April this year.



My first short film is now online: "Toss up and Sides again"

We Are the 99 Percent

We Are the 99 Percent