Larry says he was born on a mountaintop in the South Bronx (despite statements to the contrary and that there are no mountains in the Bronx), in the shadow of Yankee Stadium. From the time he could walk he either was going to play baseball, hoops or be a poet or writer. Either that or as the spiritual reincarnation of Davy Crockett; he just couldn't make up his mind. He felt he had that mountaintop thing in common with Crockett and his folks once bought him a coonskin cap that he felt ridiculous in, thus took off on this peculiar tangent. He is the product of his own dreams born and bred from Eastern European stock of Russia and Romania. He has decided that he no longer believe in biographies, and adamantly poses "Why must I trot out lists of places I have appeared and places I have been published or tell you about my childhood dreams to be a beatnik when I grew-up. If you want to know who I am read my poetry, It's all in there. The air is letters, I breathe them in and simply breathe out poetry. He has produced several chapbooks including: Winter Rose, Hates not Natural and Eating the Rain. He has one e-book entitled Jewish Soulfood available from Dead End Street Publications . His new CD Unprotected Poetry and accompanying book has just been released by PoetWarrior Press . Pudding House Publications has just released a special book of Jaffe's Greatest Hits along with several other poets. Salmon Publishing will be publishing his book Lying Half-Naked in the Doorway. And Lummox Press is about to publish his book of poetic noir, L. A. Rhapsody. Jaffe has been featured in poetry venues and festivals both throughout the U.S. and abroad. He is very active in the poetry community hosting the very hot ultra chic weekly PoeticLicense series at Zen Restaurant in Silverlake, California. Jaffe is also a featured poet for Daimler/Chrysler's Spirit in the Words poetry program. His web sites have won numerous awards, and he feels one of his best creations is the poets4peace site at www.poets4peace.co m. Each month Jaffe writes a poetry column for www.about.com as the socal poetspondent for their Museletter. He is the International Readings Coordinator for the United Nations Dialog Amongst Civilizations through Poetry Project , and he has spearheaded organizing poetry hosts around the world through the PoHo community group. He was recently named Artistic Director of Poetry Series for the Autry Museum of Western Heritage. read Larry's poems |
I wrote this poem for a friend of mine who works with abused children. LJ _____________________________________________________________ ______________ connection looking down at this 35 year old face of pain worn by a 5 year old boy looking down at him wishing i could look up at his smiles instead i saw eyes that ached with life never saw him before this instant in eternity wishing i had met him at birth and not this interrupted stunted childhood i would exchange those eyes immediately for ones that laugh there is nothing tranquil about slo-dead eyes wanting to rush hug this loveless child softly smiling to myself at this less than silly thought looking up at me he saw me dreaming about him and with mirrored smiles we reflected each other smiles moved like laser beams between us transfixed connection his eyes too old for me his mind filled with welts five-year-olds are not supposed to be this old i thought to myself silently dreams overcame reality and he looks at me with these small vagabond smiles emanating from his tiny face now finally looking his age little grins emerging like peanut butter on his face a quiet light broadcast between us we bathed in it our smiles joined in our moment of eternity ©1998 lgjaffe |
Larry Jaffe |
Larry says he was born on a mountaintop in the South Bronx (despite statements to the contrary and that there are no mountains in the Bronx), in the shadow of Yankee Stadium. From the time he could walk he either was going to play baseball, hoops or be a poet or writer. Either that or as the spiritual reincarnation of Davy Crockett; he just couldn't make up his mind. He felt he had that mountaintop thing in common with Crockett and his folks once bought him a coonskin cap that he felt ridiculous in, thus took off on this peculiar tangent. He is the product of his own dreams born and bred from Eastern European stock of Russia and Romania. He has decided that he no longer believe in biographies, and adamantly poses "Why must I trot out lists of places I have appeared and places I have been published or tell you about my childhood dreams to be a beatnik when I grew-up. If you want to know who I am read my poetry, It's all in there. The air is letters, I breathe them in and simply breathe out poetry. He has produced several chapbooks including: Winter Rose, Hates not Natural and Eating the Rain. He has one e-book entitled Jewish Soulfood available from Dead End Street Publications . His new CD Unprotected Poetry and accompanying book has just been released by PoetWarrior Press . Pudding House Publications has just released a special book of Jaffe's Greatest Hits along with several other poets. Salmon Publishing will be publishing his book Lying Half-Naked in the Doorway. And Lummox Press is about to publish his book of poetic noir, L. A. Rhapsody. Jaffe has been featured in poetry venues and festivals both throughout the U.S. and abroad. He is very active in the poetry community hosting the very hot ultra chic weekly PoeticLicense series at Zen Restaurant in Silverlake, California. Jaffe is also a featured poet for Daimler/Chrysler's Spirit in the Words poetry program. His web sites have won numerous awards, and he feels one of his best creations is the poets4peace site at www.poets4peace.co m. Each month Jaffe writes a poetry column for www.about.com as the socal poetspondent for their Museletter. He is the International Readings Coordinator for the United Nations Dialog Amongst Civilizations through Poetry Project , and he has spearheaded organizing poetry hosts around the world through the PoHo community group. He was recently named Artistic Director of Poetry Series for the Autry Museum of Western Heritage. read Larry's poems |
