e-mail: jpvega@ulster.net
Box 162 Bearsville
New York 12409
BOOKS PUBLISHED:
Mad Dogs of Trieste: New & Selected Poems: Black Sparrow Press, Martin, Ed.,
Sta. Rosa, CA, 272 pages, July 2000.
Tracking The Serpent: City Lights Books, Peters, Ed., S.F., CA, 1997.
The Road to Your House Is A Mountain Road: II Bagatto, Arcidosso, Italy, Landes-Levi, Ed., 1995.
Red Bracelets: Heaven Bone 'Press, Hirsch, Ed., Chester, NY, 1993.
Threading the Maze: Cloud Mountain Press, Drake, Ed., Old Bridge, NJ, 1992.
Island of the Sun: Longhouse, Arnold, Ed., Green River, Vt, 1991.
Drunk on a Glacier, Talking to Flies: Tooth of Time Press, Brandi, Ed., Santa Fe, N.M., 1988.
Skywriting: City Lights Books, Peters & Ferlinghetti, Eds., San Francisco, CA, 1988.
Apex of The Earth's Way: White Pine Press, Maloney, Ed., Buffalo, NY 1984.
The Bard Owl: Kulchur Press, Hornick, Ed., NY, NY, 128 pages, 1980.
Journal of a Hermit &: Cherry Valley Editions. Reprint with 30 additional pages of text: Under The Sky: C&P Plymell, Eds., Cherry Valley, NY 1979.
Here at the Door: Zone Press, DeForge, Ed., Brooklyn, NY, 1978.
Morning Passage: Telephone Books, Owen, Ed., NY, NY, 1976.
Journal of a Hermit: Cherry Valley Editions, C&P Plymell, Eds., Cherry Valley, NY. First printing 1974. Second printing 1975.
Poems to Fernando: City Lights Poet Pocket Series #22; Ferlinghetti, Ed., San Francisco, CA, 1968
Coliseum for Massimo de Feo & Corine Young
After colonnades, frescoes, pieces of urn
a magnetism rustling in the dark
at 4 a.m., cobblestone alleys
the fountain half a city block wide
backed up against buildings
in the tiny square
like a giant child peeking out of a doll house
After obelisks, phalluses, columns
telling the history of war
celebrating dominion
declaring law!
I arrive at the Coliseum,
haunt of legendary spectacles, men against men,
men against packs of lions, packs of dogs
lit up now for a theater piece
The horses who are part of the play
are tied outside, their heads are down
legs strangely still
Why aren’t they moving?
Someone points out their feet
are shoeless, their hooves carved into
to hobble their moves,
to cause them pain when they run
Feronia, Mother of Animals!
Uni, Mother of Fields!
the clawless cats, the hoofless horses
the bull in every corrida in Spain
the condor tied to its back in Peru
cock fights, greyhound races
calves tethered all their skinny lives
to the side of a barn
processed veal for the prison guards
veal for the meaty swallowers
The old Coliseum lit up tonight
is very much alive
Restore the death penalty in Italy!
Shoot the kid off his motorbike
