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H. D. Moe


H. D. Moe's bio: "Born in Corvallis, Oregon Nov. 16 1937 of an actress mother (Estora Ricks) and a football scout dad (Hal W. Moe). Grew up mostly in Corvallis and Portland Oregon, Seattle and Oakland. Had dyslexia (balanced brain, language being always translated through the dream-side). Served in the U.S. Navy and attended school on Korean War benefits. Studied poetry (with Theodore Roethke, Melvin La Follet, Philip Whalen, Herb Nelson, Bernard Malamud and others) as well as Philosophy and Science. Participated in demonstrations against compulsory ROTC. After a series of adventures and misadventures, wound up in Cuba shortly after the revolution, met cartoonist Bob Smith on The Isle of Pines (the model for R. L. Stevenson’s Treasure Island) and traveled with him to San Francisco. While in San Francisco, met the visionary oil painter, Patricia Ross. Married Patricia and lived with her for 12 years in San Francisco, where his daughter, Katherine, was born. Published in Now Now, Smoking Mirror and many other magazines. In 1968 started Love Lights, The Erotic Poetry/Art Newspaper of San Francisco - at that time the largest poetry publication in the world - which he made and edited for 11 years. Curated two art galleries. Separated from Patricia in 1977. Coordinated The San Francisco Poetry Festival in 1978. Met Frances T. Slack, editor of Beatitude Book Press, who published several books of Moe’s poetry, including “Ozone Allah,” “The Logic Of Snowflakes,” and “Quarks Heart.” Traveled in Southeast Asia for eight months, where “Immortal Amebas Jigsawpuzzle Electron Gambling Hong Kong - The Cup Lands On The Saucer” was published (in Bangkok) by the Thai Watana Ranch Press. Has had over 30 books of poetry published, including “Muse News,” published by City Lights in San Francisco in 1988. Now lives in Berkeley, California. Serves as editor and publisher of Beatitude Press, Embassy Hall Press, and Deserted X Press; and as editor of the Berkeley Review of Books. Has recently published a book of philosophy (“How To Be God Now”) and two books of poetry (“Always Home” and “Birth To Birth”). Is working on a new book about a real and imaginary journey called “Royal Poetopia and The Wild Law Civilization.” Gives poetry readings in Berkeley and San Francisco, and philosophy lectures at the Fellowship of Humanity in Oakland, California. Hosts a philosophy group called “The Living Philosophers” at the North Berkeley Senior Center." (Thanks to H. D. Moe's website http://www.hdmoe.com/ for this info.) What can you say about H. D. Moe that hasn't already been said? His intermixing of words, stream of consciousness style, and unlimited subject matter leave the listener never knowing what they will hear next. Many poets manage to have a few distinct images in their poems whereas H. D. sometimes has an image or more per line in his poems. I've found his poetry to be something that needs to be read over again in private so I can get all the nuances and intricate directions his poems go in. DGK

Hollywood




The returned mirror that didn’t work, beached itself
& upsidedowned hollywood
like a dromedary sunset
then, to keep vampires unbuttered here
sworling from the tooth of the moon
as no stopsigns were found
inhibatory uniques rolled out their drunken reels
as the old ghosts’ orgasm
photgraphing illuminations
blinded by a smiling coastline
unnameably germane

Breathing astronauts, insomniacs slept in the footlights
duck-walking websites, mae west’s raven wood loomed up behind me
yardbirding off immediate gossiping memories
inlaid in artistry dark as earth’s birthday
purpling from grapeskin nightfall
overheard in the heretic blood of a slow wind, milling about
hoping to bob up Don Quixote again
pooling amusement within my curtained eyeball
ubangee ping pong beaver-tailing across tall networks
genuflecting neon, imbibing human ears like potato chips
weeping moonshine, kick-a-pooing flimflams
dawning on the low alive with olamic will-o-the-wisps
the unconscious of everyone who thought they were anyone
jumped out in the open upon their odd facade


© Copyright H. D. Moe
(Thanks to H. D. Moe's website http://www.hdmoe.com/ for this poem, please check out the website for more poetry and to order his many books.)

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