A FEW OF IMA’S WRITINGS


MOOD LONELINESS

At sunset,
At dawn,
At summer’s end,
At winter’s birth,
When birds have flown,
And flowers cease to bloom;
When friends have said goodbye
And lovers bid farewell …

The mood is loneliness.

1963-1964

THE LAKE

Ever-changing, ever-changing
Patterns on lake
Rearranging.

Now a troubled ocean,
Miniature tidal waves
Foam-tipped;

Then calm to smooth – like glass
Unbending,
Silent-lipped;

Now a strobe-light
Reflecting the sun’s rays;
Then lapping the shore
From the boat waves.

Psychedelic
Hypnotizing
Jewel-laden
Mesmerizing
Moving eastward
Going nowhere
Taking me there
Calm and peaceful
So relaxing
Lake!




JUST OUT OF REACH

All day long,
inspired by life …
phrases, words,
sentences, feelings
tumble through my head.
When I sit to write
they’ve vanished
like the steam they are.
In the dark of night,
ideas that need recording
whisper in my ear.
As I grope for pen and paper
they dart,
just out of reach …
taunting, mocking;
frailties of humanness
elude; evaporating letters
dance, form and re-form,
urging compliance with desires to be
emblazoned on that blank sheet.
Too late, be swifter,
try again another time.

March, 2004



A YEAR IN THE MAKING

Start with Spring!
Robin pecking on my lawn,
green stems peeking through the dull, brown earth,
crocus buds, forsythia in bloom,
tulip heads stretching for the sun.
Leaf buds bursting on the limb.
Fresh, cool rain tapping on the window panes
waking the earth, waking the flowers
and washing away the gray of winter.
Trees burst into complete leaves.
Flowers stretching petals to the new summer.
Bees alighting from the warmth of the hive,
seeking new sources of nectar for their summer work.
The sun, warming, healing, cooking the earth,
baking bodies brown to a turn,
parching before summer’s end
and cooking the leaves from green to red
to overdone brown.
Leaves dropping, flowers drooping,settling down to be
covered by blankets of soft cool, cold snow,
settling the earth,
protecting against the icy hail and freezing sleet
and allowing all to sleep
’til spring again!

1976


MUSICIANS

PERFORMERS AND COMPOSERS –DUKE ELLINGTON; DON SHIRLEY; LALO SCHIFRIN; LEONARD COHEN; MILES DAVIS; CHARLIE HAYDEN; QUINCY JONES; DAVE BRUBECK; STEVIE RAY VAUGHN; ALAN TOUSSAINT; VAN MORRISON; RAY CHARLES; MUDDY WATERS; HOWLIN’ WOLF; CHARLIE PARKER; CHET BAKER; PHILLIP GLASS; FRANK SINATRA; MIRIAM MAKEBA; HARRY BELAFONTE; AARON NEVILLE; BOB DYLAN; CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS; OUR NATIVE DAUGHTERS; JOHN LENNON; SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK; ROY ORBISON; STEVIE WONDER; THE LAST POETS;

DAVE BRUBECK

ALL TIME GREATEST HITS1974-LP

BRUBECK ON CAMPUS -1972-LP





CHARLIE BYRD

FOR WE KNOW -LP

THE WORLD OF CHARLIE BYRD-LP

GUITAR ARTISTRY–LP

LATIN BYRD -LP

JOHNNY CASH

I WALK THE LINE -LP

JOHNNY CASH -AMERICAN IV: THE MAN COMES AROUND -2003 -CD

RAY CHARLES

A MESSAGE FROM THE PEOPLE – 1972- LP

MILES DAVIS

THE MASTER OF STYLE -1984 -CS

KIND OF BLUE -1997 -CD

BOB DYLAN

SLOW TRAIN COMING -1979-LP

THE TIMES THEY ARE A- CHANGING- LP

HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED- CS

LOVE AND THEFT-2001-CD

PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID (SOUNDTRACK)-1973-CD

THE FREEWHEELIN’ BOB DYLAN-2003-CD

DUKE ELLINGTON

THE DUKE AT TANGLEWOOD -LP

DUKE ELLINGTON’S 70th BIRTHDAY CONCERT -LP

THE ELLINGTON SUITES -LP

BLACK, BROWN AND BEIGE -LP

MY PEOPLE -CS

DUKE ELLINGTON’S GREATEST HITS -LP

PETE FOUNTAIN

THE BEST OF PETE FOUNTAIN -LP

ERROL GARNER

EASY TO LOVE -CS

CONCERT BY THE SEA -CS,LP

SOLILOQUY -LP

THE ELF -1976-LP

PHILIP GLASS

EINSTEIN ON THE BEACH -CS

GLASSWORKS -1982-LP

SONGS FROM LIQUID DAYS -CS

JACKIE GLEASON

MERRY CHRISTMAS -LP

MUSIC FOR LOVERS ONLY -LP

REBOUND-LP

BENNY GOODMAN

ALL-TIME GREATEST HITS 1972-LP

TRIO AND QUARTET-LIVE 1937-38-LP 1976, 1985

BENNY -LP -1986

THE FAMOUS 1938 CARNEGIE HALL JAZZ CONCERT , VOL.2-LP

DON SHIRLEY

THE DON SHIRLEY TRIO IN CONCERT -LP

POINT OF VIEW -1972-LP

DON SHIRLEY PRESENTS MARTHA FLOWERS- LP

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO DON SHIRLEY -LP

DON SHIRLEY, PIANIST EXTRAORDINARY-1960-LP

DON SHIRLEY TRIO -1960-LP

NINA SIMONE

BLACK GOLD AND TO BE YOUNG , GIFTED AND BLACK-LP

NINA SIMONE IN CONCERT-1964 -LP

NUFF SAID -1968-LP

BALTIMORE -LP

NINA SIMONE AT TOWN HALL -LP

THE AMAZING NINA SIMONE -LP

HIGH PRIESTESS OF SOUL -LP

EMERGENCY WARD -1972 -LP

SILK AND SOUL -1967 -LP

HERE COMES THE SUN- LP

UP FRONT-LP

TO LOVE SOMEBODY -1969 -LP

LEONARD COHEN

LIVE IN LONDON -2008-DVD

YOU WANT IT DARKER -2016-CD

VARIOUS POSITIONS -1984 -CD

I’M YOUR MAN -1988-CD

TEN NEW SONGS -2001 -CD

THE FUTURE -1992 -CD

NEW SKIN FOR THE OLD CEREMONY 1974 -CD

SONGS FROM A ROOM -1969 -CD

LALO SCHIFRIN

MARQUIS DE SADELP

TOWERING INFERNOLP

RAVI SHANKAR

SOUND OF THE SITAR – LP

CONCERT FOR SITAR AND ORCHESTRA -LP

THE SOUNDS OF INDIA -LP

TONY SCOTT

MUSIC FOR ZEN MEDITATION -LP

GEORGE SHEARING

IN THE MOOD/WITH DAKOTA STATON -LP

STEVIE RAY VAUGHN

ALLEN TOUSSAINT

AMERICAN TUNESCD

THE BRIGHT MISSISSIPPICD

VOCALISTS

  • SARAH VAUGHN
  • BILLIE HOLIDAY
  • JOAN BAEZ
  • HARRY BELAFONTE
  • TONY BENNETT
  • BROOK BENTON
  • CHUCK BERRY
  • ALEX BRADFORD
  • HADDA BROOKS
  • OSCAR BROWN JR.
  • CHARLES BROWN
  • RUTH BROWN
  • RAY CHARLES
  • SAVANNAH CHURCHILL
  • JIMMY CLIFF
  • NAT “KING” COLE
  • SAM COOKE
  • SAMMY DAVIS JR.
  • NEIL DIAMOND
  • BO DIDDLEY
  • FATS DOMINO
  • BOB DYLAN
  • BILLY ECKSTEIN
  • ELLA FITZGERALD
  • THE INK SPOTS
  • ROBERTA FLACK
  • ARETHA FRANKLIN
  • AL GREEN
  • ROY HAMILTON
  • RICHARD HARRIS
  • JOHNNY HARTMAN
  • RICHIE HAVENS
  • ISAAC HAYES
  • AL HIBBLER
  • LENA HORNE
  • IVORY JOE HUNTER
  • JANIS IAN
  • THE JACKSON FIVE
  • MAHALIA JACKSON
  • ETTA JAMES
  • AL JARREAU
  • ELTON JOHN
  • JANIS JOPLIN
  • LOUIS JORDAN
  • JOHN W. ANDERSON (KASANDRA)
  • GLADYS KNIGHT
  • LADYSMITH – BLACK MAMBAZO
  • FRANKIE LAINE
  • HUDDIE LEDBETTER
  • ABBEY LINCOLN
  • NELLIE LUTCHER
  • MIRIAM MAKEBA
  • BOB MARLEY
  • JOHNNY MATHIS
  • THE MILLS BROTHERS
  • JOHNNY MOORE
  • VAN MORRISON
  • WILLIE NELSON
  • RANDY NEWMAN
  • ODETTA
  • THE ORIOLES
  • PETER, PAUL AND MARY
  • LEONTYNE PRICE
  • ARTHUR PRYSOCK
  • THE RAVENS
  • JOHNNIE RAY
  • LIONEL RICHIE
  • PAUL ROBESON
  • LINDA RONSTADT
  • JIMMY RUSHING
  • BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE
  • GIL SCOTT-HERON
  • PETE SEEGER
  • SIMON AND GARFUNKLE
  • NINA SIMONE
  • FRANK SINATRA
  • PHOEBE SNOW
  • DAKOTA STATON
  • BARBRA STREISAND
  • STING
  • JOE TURNER
  • TINA TURNER
  • JOE COCKER
  • ARLO GUTHRIE
  • ELVIS PRESLEY
  • THE DIXIE CHICKS
  • MERL HAGGARD
  • IRIS DE MINT
  • LOUIS ARMSTRONG
  • JAMES CLEVELAND

VOCALISTS — NINA SIMONE; SARAH VAUGHN; BILLIE HOLLIDAY; ROBERTA FLACK; BARBRA STREISAND; NANCY WILSON; JOAN BAEZ; ARETHA FRANKLIN; NAT KING COLE; LEONARD COHEN; JOE COCKER; JOHNNY CASH; RICHARD HARRIS; NEIL DIAMOND; JOHNNY MATHIS; AL GREEN; MERLE HAGGARD; TONY BENNETT; PAUL ROBESON; LOUIS ARMSTRONG; B.B. KING; ALEX BRADFORD; JAMES CLEVELAND; IRIS DE MENT; THE DIXIE CHICKS; BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN;

Informational Sources

PERIODICALS — “IN THESE TIMES”; “UTNE READER”; “THE NATION”; “FREE INQUIRY”; “LOWDOWN”; “THE PROGRESSIVE POPULIST”; “THE ATLANTIC”; “MOTHER JONES”;”FUNNY TIMES”;

RADIO AND TELEVISION — KKFI – “ALTERNATIVE RADIO”; “DEMOCRACY NOW”; “LAW AND DISORDER”; “BETWEEN THE LINES”; “THE BIONEERS”; “JAWS OF JUSTICE”; KCUR – “UP TO DATE”; “CENTRAL STANDARD”; “BBC”; “ALL THINGS CONSIDERED”; “HERE AND NOW”; KCPT – “POV”; “FRONTLINE”; “INDEPENDENT LENS”;

INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS — PETER KORNBLUH; GLEN GREENWALD; GREG PALAST; JEREMY SCAHILL;

DOCUMENTARY FILMS —FAHRENHEIT 11/9; SICKO; WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE KNOW?; HARVEST OF SHAME; THE PANAMA DECEPTION; HIDDEN COLORS, VOLS . 1,2,3, & 4; MAAFA 21 (BLACK GENOCIDE IN 21ST CENTURY AMERICA);

BOOKS — PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES (HOWARD ZINN); INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES (ROXANNE DUNBAR-ORTIZ); WHITE TRASH (NANCY ISENBERG); HARVEST OF EMPIRE (JUAN GONZALEZ); THE FIRST EMANCIPATOR (ANDREW LEVY); WHITE CARGO (DON JORDAN AND MICHAEL WALSH); JUST MERCY (BRYAN STEVENSON); THE CROSS AND THE LYNCHING TREE (JAMES H. CONE); THE HISTORY OF WHITE PEOPLE (NELL IRVING PAINTER); OPEN VEINS OF LATIN AMERICA (EDUARDO GALEANO); DEVIL IN THE GROVE (GILBERT KING); GOD – A Human History (REZA ASLAN); BREAKING THE SPELL-Religion as a Natural Phenomenon (DANIEL C. DENNETT); PATIENCE WITH GOD-Faith for People Who Don’t Like Religion (or Atheism) (FRANK SCHAEFFER);

OTHER SOURCES–MALCOLM X; MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR,; DICK GREGORY; MORT SAHL; LENNY BRUCE; PAUL MOONEY; RICHARD PRYOR; LEWIS BLACK; PAUL ROBESON; TOM LEHRER; BILL MAHER; BILL MOYER; JOSEPH CAMPBELL; GEORGE CARLIN; KAHLIL GIBRAN; THOMAS MERTON; RAM DASS; SHELLEY BERMAN; W.E.B.DUBOIS; LERONE BENNETT; MUHAMMAD ALI; CARTER G. WOODSON; BRIGADIER GENERAL SMEDLEY D. BUTLER; ARUNDHATI ROY; MICHAEL MOORE; VANDANNA SHIVA;

AUTHORS AND POETS

WRITERS — Langston Hughes; James Baldwin; Ta-Nahesi Coates; James Cone; Philip Appleman; Howard Zinn; Chris Hedges; Mark Lane; Ralph Nader; Michelle Alexander; Bryan Stevenson; Mark Twain; Richard Williams;J.A. Rogers; Henry Louis Gates, Jr.; James Loewen; Martin Luther King, Jr.; James W. Douglass; Malcolm X; Elaine Pagels; Seymour Hersch; Chester Himes; Paul Lawrence Dunbar; Richard Wright; Richard Wolff; Alice Walker; Walter Mosley; Kahlil Gibran; Rumi; Sonia Sanchez; Nikki Giovanni;Langston Hughes

  • DOCUMENTARIES
  • Michael Moore
  • John Pilger
  • Oliver Stone

BEHIND THE MASK

  • 2013
  • 14″ X 17″
  • MIXED MEDIA

The countenance that seems to show contentment
sometimes hides envy, bigotry or greed;
or smiling, grinning eyes shown unto others
oft mask a heart of hate, shield evil deeds.

False faces help to create the illusions
that some would have the world to judge them by,
while way down deep inside their hiding places,
their truest selves and darkest secrets lie.

A need to hide a fear, belie a danger,
or cover up depression, angst or pain,
can summon up a mask to hide the real self,
so others may not an advantage gain.

Sometimes to warrant sympathy or pity,
conjured tears seem normal, commonplace.
Desire to gain a confidence unworthy
could make a sickly grin transform the face.

Each one in time may wear a mask for comfort,
protecting tender selves from public view,
You can mislead, can be misled by others,
but ‘neath the mask the soul can speak the truth.

Be wary of the “face” designed to fool you;
search with your heart and disregard your head.
Examine thoroughly “face value”‘s meaning.
Behind the mask, seek out the soul instead.


An IMA Creation

July 11, 2003