Writing of Duane LaBarbera 1948-2022

 Snippets The Political Climate At Cornell, 1968 Everyone was more or less in their fixed place. One political group wanted this, another wanted that, students rallied, faculty rallied, and administration rallied. Political promises came from inaccessable places spaced over certain intervals. Periodically, so and so's picture would appear on Time Magazine. Edward Albee Edward Albee portrayed well the two husbands in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woold" as teachers, for teachers tend to be amongst the most prone to illusion. Bar Life There is an especial faculty often possessed by those who frequent bars of being able to feel what others around them are feeling even when there is no intended external communciaiton.  Hermann Hesse and Thomas Mann Contrary to what Mann and Hess may infer, genius is not necessarily connected with fear or physical weakness, or sickness. Reveries Revere every revery every evening. Waste We have little awareness of the vast amounts of pollutants...

                                                                                     Certainty As surely as the sun emerges in the east To warm the vaprous liquid of the earth Moving slumbered life to life Then to its rest again Will love be true. As brilliantly from still of heavens starred in grey The colors spark the muted earth at dawn While your eyes so round are filled With the clearness of the daylight Is love new.                                                                                 ...

Found in my brother's papers. Written at age 21 or 22, circa 1970 After swerving down Merrick road we pulled into the pantry diner. It was about 3:15 in the morning and a cop was already stationed out front, more or less ignoring the inebriated state of almost everyone who went in. He stood with his arms folded, looking like he could hear and not see. We went up the concrete stairs and were stopped by the manager.  “How many?” “Four.” “You hafta wait.”  Joe was pushing us in. We were packed, and then we split up for a moment. The place was loud, not from music but from people. Everybody was making noise. Plates and silverware crashed against each other. Everybody was talking and if they weren’t eating they were talking even louder as if the volume knob had been turned left. People stuffed the aisles between counter booths. The cash register rang.  “Over here,” the manager motioned. “Hey, we were here,” my friend Joe said, looking straight ahead at him with a fixed stare. ...

  Gift I must learn But need the desire I’ve so much fuel to burn Just give me the fire                  Wearily I trod                Painfully I plod                Though I know not where                Perhaps I’ll find it there.                  It may be long                But right or wrong                There might be                What interests, me            ...