Jerry Chasen's Blog

We’re moving, both home and office–and at the time this was written, we’d sold our old home and office space, and hadn’t quite gotten the new ones nailed down!

I’ve long believed that we create ourselves by our responses–to situations, to challenges, and of course, to some basic questions. Using journalism’s “4 w’s and and h”, I tried to explore some interesting, defining questions.

I liked “Blessing” so much, I basically tried to recreate it. This “copy”, as might be expected, isn’t as effective, In think. But I thought it was cool that it could be read horizontally or vertically, with the rhyme with each set of 4 (horizontally) or within each set of 4 (vertically). My read is of it vertically.

This poem sums up those that preceded it. It’s also probably the last one that in any real way focused on HIV. Though the disease is still very present, it feels less immediately threatening (I know that’s not particularly PC, but it is my reality).

One of the earliest pieces I still have. Written for my good friend Robert’s 40th birthday, it is matched in structure with the piece I wrote for his 50th. I had sworn I wouldn’t go to New York to celebrate, in part because of lack of funds. Glad I remembered what was important!