Month & Year Wrap-ups

Black-crowned Night-Heron, roost, LBI

I had planned to end the birding year with a walk along the southern end of Island Beach, down to the jetty before the rain started, but the rain started much earlier than predicted. Instead, I opted for fog-enshrouded Reeves Bogs despite it being a Saturday during hunting season. I couldn't see much and neither could the duck hunters, though that didn't stop the occasional shot gun blast. One hunter stopped in his pickup truck an asked me if I'd seen anything. I told him I could barely make out the Tundra Swans, much less the few silhouettes of ducks I saw take flight from the bogs. And then, because he was in a pickup truck, he fulfilled Zirlin's First Law of Birding by asking me if I'd seen the eagle at Whitesbog. It is hard to explain that I see eagles all the time, at Whitesbog and everywhere else in the pines. I'd just seen two this morning performing a half-hearted mating ritual. But the question put a cap on the year for me. I really should start a database on how many times I'm asked the eagle question.

Bonaparte's Gull, Whitesbog,
another stumble upon species

It wasn't a particularly interesting month, with only one year bird added, an Orange-crowned Warbler (one at Cedar Bonnet, one at Island Beach.) There have been some rarities around, but since they're rarities I've already recorded for the year, I only made a small effort, if any, to find them. Probably my happiest find of the month was a group of Long-billed Dowitchers I found at Lake Barnegat in Lacey Township. That's the kind of birding I've come to enjoy most of late, what I'll call "Stumble Upon Birding." I was passing the lake, saw mud flats and some gulls, stopped, scoped, and found the dowitchers in that unlikely spot. I suppose the best find of that kind this year for me was the Lark Sparrow I stumbled upon at Reeves Bogs back in September. Another, more mundane example, is the Hooded Merganser I found in the middle of summer on my local pond on Schoolhouse Road. Or the Sandhill Cranes that flew over Jumping Brook Preserve twice this year. I take more pleasure in those discoveries than I do rushing to some place to get the next check of my year list. Serendipity over calculation. 

Or is it just sour grapes because I didn't feel like making long drives to Cape May for the Kirtland's Warbler or the...actually I can't remember which rarities I didn't chase so maybe my sense that it isn't really that important is correct. 

For the month I had 107 species, which is a bit down from Decembers; for the year I had 337 species, up from the last couple of pandemic years because the list was bolstered by our trip to the Yucatan in the spring. 

Plain Chachalaca, Puerto Morelos

Tomorrow, it starts all over again. All those rarities I only half attempted this month I'll have to really try for again...why? I can't give myself a good reason, but I probably will anyway. Tomorrow, I'll kick off the year with Shari and a mass of birders at Sandy Hook as we usually do, and Monday I have the Barnegat CBC with Mike, as I usually do, and Tuesday I don't know but I suspect some compulsion will send me out to gather the common rarities like Trumpeter Swan, Eurasian Wigeon, and/or Black-headed Gull. 

Lists:

December:
Counties Birded: Burlington, Monmouth, Ocean

Species              First Sighting

Snow Goose  Pemberton Twp MUA Fields

Brant  Harvey Cedars

Canada Goose  Golden Drive

Mute Swan  Cattus Island County Park

Tundra Swan  Whitesbog

Wood Duck  Whitesbog

Gadwall  Holly Lake

American Wigeon  Lake of the Lilies

Mallard  Riverfront Landing

American Black Duck  Cattus Island County Park

Ring-necked Duck  Pemberton Lake WMA

Greater Scaup  Bayview Ave Park

Lesser Scaup  Bayview Ave Park

Common Eider  Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Harlequin Duck  Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Surf Scoter  Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Black Scoter  Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Long-tailed Duck  Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Bufflehead  Riverfront Landing

Hooded Merganser  Pond on Schoolhouse Road

Red-breasted Merganser  Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Ruddy Duck  Cattus Island County Park

Pied-billed Grebe  Lake of the Lilies

Horned Grebe  Island Beach SP

Rock Pigeon  Bayview Ave Marina

Mourning Dove  35 Sunset Rd

American Coot  Waretown Lake

Black-bellied Plover  Island Beach SP

Killdeer  Deer Head Lake

Ruddy Turnstone  Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Sanderling  Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Dunlin  Island Beach SP

Purple Sandpiper  Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Long-billed Dowitcher  Lake Barnegat

Wilson's Snipe  Manahawkin WMA

Greater Yellowlegs  Deer Head Lake

Bonaparte's Gull  Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Ring-billed Gull  Lake Barnegat

Herring Gull  Riverfront Landing

Lesser Black-backed Gull  Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Glaucous Gull  Island Beach SP

Great Black-backed Gull  Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Red-throated Loon  Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Common Loon  Cattus Island County Park

Northern Gannet  Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Great Cormorant  Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Double-crested Cormorant  Barnegat Lighthouse SP

American Bittern  Island Beach SP

Great Blue Heron  Cattus Island County Park

Great Egret  Bayview Ave Park

Black-crowned Night-Heron  Bayview Ave Park

Black Vulture  Patriots County Park

Turkey Vulture  Pond on Schoolhouse Road

Northern Harrier  Waretown--Bay Pkwy

Sharp-shinned Hawk  35 Sunset Rd

Cooper's Hawk  Bayview Ave Park

Bald Eagle  Harvey Cedars

Red-shouldered Hawk  Jumping Brook Preserve

Red-tailed Hawk  Cattus Island County Park

Belted Kingfisher  Cattus Island County Park

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  35 Sunset Rd

Red-bellied Woodpecker  Cattus Island County Park

Downy Woodpecker  35 Sunset Rd

Hairy Woodpecker  Whitesbog

Northern Flicker  Whitesbog

Merlin  Patriots County Park

Peregrine Falcon  Cedar Bonnet Island

Blue Jay  Riverfront Landing

American Crow  35 Sunset Rd

Common Raven  Cattus Island County Park

Carolina Chickadee  35 Sunset Rd

Tufted Titmouse  35 Sunset Rd

Horned Lark  Jackson Liberty HS

Ruby-crowned Kinglet  Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Golden-crowned Kinglet  Whitesbog

Red-breasted Nuthatch  Cattus Island County Park

White-breasted Nuthatch  35 Sunset Rd

Brown Creeper  Colliers Mills WMA

Winter Wren  Whitesbog

Carolina Wren  35 Sunset Rd

European Starling  35 Sunset Rd

Gray Catbird  Cattus Island County Park

Northern Mockingbird  Bayview Ave Marina

Eastern Bluebird  Whitesbog

Hermit Thrush  Cattus Island County Park

American Robin  35 Sunset Rd

House Sparrow  35 Sunset Rd

House Finch  35 Sunset Rd

Purple Finch  Reeves Bogs

American Goldfinch  35 Sunset Rd

Chipping Sparrow  Manasquan River WMA

Field Sparrow  Manasquan River WMA

American Tree Sparrow  Whitesbog

Fox Sparrow  Cattus Island County Park

Dark-eyed Junco  35 Sunset Rd

White-throated Sparrow  Whiting WMA

Savannah Sparrow  Cedar Bonnet Island

Song Sparrow  Cattus Island County Park

Swamp Sparrow  Cattus Island County Park

Eastern Meadowlark  Colliers Mills WMA

Red-winged Blackbird  Manahawkin WMA

Common Grackle  Slade Dale Sanctuary

Boat-tailed Grackle  Baltimore Avenue

Orange-crowned Warbler  Cedar Bonnet Island

Common Yellowthroat  Colliers Mills WMA

Yellow-rumped Warbler  Cattus Island County Park

Northern Cardinal  Cattus Island County Park And the year: Key: LIFE BIRD, rarity Species            First Sighting

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck  Amalfi Dr. Retention Pond
Snow Goose  Pemberton Lake WMA
Brant  East Bay Av
Cackling Goose  Meadowedge Park
Canada Goose  Whitesbog
Mute Swan  Bridge to Nowhere
Trumpeter Swan  Stone Tavern Lake
Tundra Swan  Whitesbog
Wood Duck  Bridge to Nowhere
Garganey  National Guard Training Center
Blue-winged Teal  Island Beach SP
Northern Shoveler  Lake of the Lilies
Gadwall  Ocean Acres Pond
Eurasian Wigeon  MacLearie Park
American Wigeon  MacLearie Park
Mallard  Bridge to Nowhere
American Black Duck  Bridge to Nowhere
Northern Pintail  Bridge to Nowhere
Green-winged Teal  Ocean Acres Pond
Canvasback  Riverfront Landing
Redhead   Mantoloking
Ring-necked Duck  Manahawkin Lake
Greater Scaup  East Bay Av
Lesser Scaup  Riverfront Landing
King Eider  Island Beach SP
Common Eider  Island Beach SP
Harlequin Duck  Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Surf Scoter  Holgate
White-winged Scoter  Island Beach SP
Black Scoter  Holgate
Long-tailed Duck  Island Beach SP
Bufflehead  Bridge to Nowhere
Common Goldeneye  Graveling Point
Hooded Merganser  Whitesbog
Common Merganser  Lake of the Lilies
Red-breasted Merganser  East Bay Av
Ruddy Duck  Assunpink WMA
 
Plain Chachalaca  Puerto Morelos
Northern Bobwhite  Colliers Mills WMA
Wild Turkey  Pasadena Road
 
Pied-billed Grebe  Manahawkin Lake
Horned Grebe  Graveling Point
Eared Grebe  Manasquan Inlet
 
Rock Pigeon  Manahawkin Lake
Eurasian Collared-Dove  Puerto Morelos
Common Ground Dove  Puerto Morelos
Ruddy Ground Dove  Puerto Morelos
White-tipped Dove  Yaax Che
White-winged Dove  Puerto Morelos
Mourning Dove  35 Sunset Rd
 
SQUIRREL CUCKOO  Cenote Zapote
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  Jumping Brook Preserve
Black-billed Cuckoo  Whitesbog
 
Common Nighthawk  Whitesbog
Common Pauraque  Mangles de Puerto Morelos
Chuck-will's-widow  Collinstown Road
Eastern Whip-poor-will  35 Sunset Rd
 
Chimney Swift  Jumping Brook Preserve
Vaux's Swift  Cenote Zapote
 
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  35 Sunset Rd
Cinnamon Hummingbird  Puerto Morelos
WHITE-BELLIED EMERALD  Cenote Zapote
 
Clapper Rail  Great Bay Blvd
Virginia Rail  Bridge to Nowhere
Sora  Brig
American Coot  Holly Lake
 
Sandhill Crane  Jumping Brook Preserve
 
Black-necked Stilt  Bombay Hook
American Avocet  Bombay Hook
American Oystercatcher  Great Bay Blvd
Black-bellied Plover  Island Beach SP
American Golden-Plover  Bombay Hook
Semipalmated Plover  Island Beach SP
Piping Plover  Sandy Hook
Killdeer  Deer Head Lake
Upland Sandpiper  BC Fairgrounds
Whimbrel  Island Beach SP
Marbled Godwit  Island Beach SP
Ruddy Turnstone  Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Red Knot  Great Bay Blvd
Ruff  Brig
Stilt Sandpiper  Forsythe-Barnegat
Sanderling  Island Beach SP
Dunlin  Island Beach SP
Purple Sandpiper  Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Baird's Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Least Sandpiper  Manahawkin WMA
White-rumped Sandpiper  Great Bay Blvd
Buff-breasted Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Pectoral Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Semipalmated Sandpiper  Great Bay Blvd
Western Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Short-billed Dowitcher  Forsythe-Barnegat
Long-billed Dowitcher  Deer Head Lake
American Woodcock  35 Sunset Rd
Wilson's Snipe  Cattus Island County Park
Wilson's Phalarope  Brig
Spotted Sandpiper  Island Beach SP
Solitary Sandpiper  Island Beach SP
Greater Yellowlegs  Bridge to Nowhere
Willet  Manahawkin WMA
Lesser Yellowlegs  Manahawkin WMA
 
Thick-billed Murre  Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Razorbill  Island Beach SP
 
Bonaparte's Gull  Whitesbog
Black-headed Gull  Manasquan Inlet
Laughing Gull  Barnegat Municipal Dock
Ring-billed Gull  Manahawkin Lake
Herring Gull  Bridge to Nowhere
Iceland Gull  Lake Como
Lesser Black-backed Gull  Lake Como
Glaucous Gull  Sandy Hook
Great Black-backed Gull  Bridge to Nowhere
Least Tern  Great Bay Blvd
Gull-billed Tern  Brig
Caspian Tern  Puerto Morelos
Black Tern  Bombay Hook
Common Tern  Island Beach SP
Arctic Tern  Assunpink WMA
Forster's Tern  Island Beach SP
Royal Tern  Playa Puerto Morelos
Black Skimmer  Great Bay Blvd
 
Red-throated Loon  Graveling Point
Common Loon  Island Beach SP
 
Wilson's Storm-Petrel  Barnegat Lighthouse SP
 
Magnificent Frigatebird  Puerto Morelos
 
Northern Gannet  Island Beach SP
 
Anhinga  Playa Puerto Morelos
Great Cormorant  Island Beach SP
Double-crested Cormorant  East Bay Av
 
American White Pelican  Brig
Brown Pelican  Puerto Morelos
 
American Bittern  Sandy Hook
Least Bittern  Jumping Brook Preserve
Great Blue Heron  Beach Ave
Great Egret  Great Bay Blvd
Snowy Egret  Cattus Island County Park
Little Blue Heron  Island Beach SP
Tricolored Heron  Island Beach SP
Green Heron  Puerto Morelos
Black-crowned Night-Heron  Bayview Ave Park
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron  Ocean City Welcome Center
White Ibis  Ocean City Welcome Center
Glossy Ibis  Bay Pkwy
Roseate Spoonbill  Playa Puerto Morelos
 
Black Vulture   Manahawkin
Turkey Vulture  Bridge to Nowhere
Osprey  Shelter Cove Park
Gray-headed Kite  Cenote Zapote
Northern Harrier  Bridge to Nowhere
Sharp-shinned Hawk  Cattus Island County Park
Cooper's Hawk  Plumsted Recreation Park
Bald Eagle  Beach Ave
Red-shouldered Hawk  New Egypt
Broad-winged Hawk  Double Trouble SP
Red-tailed Hawk  Bridge to Nowhere
Rough-legged Hawk  BC Fairgrounds
 
Eastern Screech-Owl  Whitesbog
Snowy Owl  Holgate
Great Horned Owl  Beach Ave
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl  Puerto Morelos
Barred Owl  Jumping Brook Preserve
 
Black-headed Trogon  Cenote Zapote
 
Turquoise-browed Motmot  Cenote Zapote
 
Belted Kingfisher  Whitesbog
 
KEEL-BILLED TOUCAN  Cenote Zapote
 
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  Bridge to Nowhere
Red-headed Woodpecker  Colliers Mills WMA
Yucatan Woodpecker  Puerto Morelos
Golden-fronted Woodpecker  Yaax Che
Red-bellied Woodpecker  Manahawkin WMA
Downy Woodpecker  35 Sunset Rd
Hairy Woodpecker  35 Sunset Rd
Lineated Woodpecker  Yaax Che
Pileated Woodpecker  UTT New Egypt
Northern Flicker  Manahawkin WMA
 
American Kestrel  BC Fairgrounds
Merlin  Colliers Mills WMA
Peregrine Falcon  Bridge to Nowhere
 
Monk Parakeet  Sylvan Lake
White-fronted Parrot  Casa Primavera
YELLOW-LORED PARROT  Cenote Zapote
OLIVE-THROATED PARAKEET  Cenote Zapote
 
Mayan Antthrush  Cenote Zapote
 
OLIVACEOUS WOODCREEPER  Cenote Zapote
Tawny-winged Woodcreeper  Cenote Zapote
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper  Cenote Zapote
 
ROSE-THROATED BECARD  Cenote Zapote
Eastern Wood-Pewee  Colliers Mills WMA
Acadian Flycatcher  Double Trouble SP
Willow Flycatcher  Island Beach SP
Least Flycatcher  Cenote Zapote
Eastern Phoebe  Colliers Mills WMA
YUCATAN FLYCATCHER  Cenote Zapote
Great Crested Flycatcher  Manahawkin WMA
Brown-crested Flycatcher  Puerto Morelos
Great Kiskadee  Puerto Morelos
Boat-billed Flycatcher  Cenote Zapote
Social Flycatcher  Cenote Zapote
Tropical Kingbird  Puerto Morelos
Couch's Kingbird  Cenote Zapote
Eastern Kingbird  Colliers Mills WMA
 
White-eyed Vireo  Double Trouble SP
Yellow-throated Vireo  Huber Preserve
Blue-headed Vireo  Whitesbog
Philadelphia Vireo  Sandy Hook
Warbling Vireo  Colliers Mills WMA
Red-eyed Vireo  Yaax Che
 
Northern Shrike  Franklin Parker Preserve
 
Brown Jay  Cenote Zapote
Green Jay  Cenote Zapote
Blue Jay  35 Sunset Rd
American Crow  Whitesbog
Fish Crow  High Bar
Common Raven  Stafford Forge WMA
 
Carolina Chickadee  35 Sunset Rd
Black-capped Chickadee  Beach Lake
Tufted Titmouse  35 Sunset Rd
 
Horned Lark  Jackson Liberty HS
 
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  Budd's Bogs
Purple Martin  Double Trouble SP
Gray-breasted Martin  Puerto Morelos
Tree Swallow  Island Beach SP
Bank Swallow  Cranberry Bogs--Dover Rd
Barn Swallow  Budd's Bogs
Cliff Swallow  Wesley Lake
Cave Swallow  Cenote Zapote
 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  Cattus Island County Park
Golden-crowned Kinglet  Whitesbog
 
Red-breasted Nuthatch  Bamber Lake
White-breasted Nuthatch  35 Sunset Rd
Brown-headed Nuthatch  Cape Henlopen SP
 
Brown Creeper  Crestwood Village
 
LONG-BILLED GNATWREN  Cenote Zapote
 
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  Colliers Mills WMA
 
House Wren  Cranberry Bogs
Winter Wren  Assunpink WMA
Marsh Wren  Island Beach SP
Carolina Wren  Beach Ave
SPOT-BREASTED WREN  Cenote Zapote
WHITE-BELLIED WREN  Cenote Zapote
 
European Starling   Stafford Township
 
Gray Catbird  Manahawkin WMA
Brown Thrasher  New Egypt
Tropical Mockingbird  Casa Primavera
Northern Mockingbird  35 Sunset Rd
 
Eastern Bluebird  Manahawkin WMA
Veery  Island Beach SP
Gray-cheeked Thrush  Palmyra Cove
Swainson's Thrush  Island Beach SP
Hermit Thrush  Whitesbog
Wood Thrush  Island Beach SP
Clay-colored Thrush  Cenote Zapote
American Robin  Beach Ave
 
Cedar Waxwing  35 Sunset Rd
 
House Sparrow  Stafford
 
Yellow-throated Euphonia  Cenote Zapote
House Finch  35 Sunset Rd
Purple Finch  Island Beach SP
Lesser Goldfinch  Mangles de Puerto Morelos
American Goldfinch  35 Sunset Rd
 
Lapland Longspur  Holgate
Snow Bunting  Island Beach SP
 
Grasshopper Sparrow  Bombay Hook
GREEN-BACKED SPARROW  Cenote Zapote
Chipping Sparrow  Colliers Mills WMA
Clay-colored Sparrow  Island Beach SP
Field Sparrow  Colliers Mills WMA
Lark Sparrow  Reeves Bogs
American Tree Sparrow  Whitesbog
Fox Sparrow  Manahawkin WMA
Dark-eyed Junco  35 Sunset Rd
White-crowned Sparrow  New Egypt
White-throated Sparrow  35 Sunset Rd
Seaside Sparrow  Great Bay Blvd
Nelson's Sparrow  Great Bay Blvd
Saltmarsh Sparrow  Great Bay Blvd
Savannah Sparrow  New Egypt
Song Sparrow  Whitesbog
Lincoln's Sparrow  Island Beach SP
Swamp Sparrow  Beach Ave
Eastern Towhee  Crestwood Community Gardens
 
Yellow-breasted Chat  Double Trouble SP
Bobolink  Jumping Brook Preserve
Eastern Meadowlark  Colliers Mills WMA
Yellow-billed Cacique  Yaax Che
Orchard Oriole  Jumping Brook Preserve
Yellow-backed Oriole  Puerto Morelos
Yellow-tailed Oriole  Puerto Morelos
ORANGE ORIOLE  Cenote Zapote
Altamira Oriole  Puerto Morelos
Baltimore Oriole  Island Beach SP
Red-winged Blackbird  Bridge to Nowhere
Bronzed Cowbird  Cenote Zapote
Brown-headed Cowbird  New Egypt
Melodious Blackbird  Cenote Zapote
Rusty Blackbird  Brynmore Road
Common Grackle  Assunpink WMA
Boat-tailed Grackle  Bridge to Nowhere
Great-tailed Grackle  Cancun Airport
 
Ovenbird  Jumping Brook Preserve
Worm-eating Warbler   Evert  Nature Trail
Louisiana Waterthrush  Budd's Bogs
Northern Waterthrush  Mangles de Puerto Morelos
Blue-winged Warbler  Huber Preserve
Black-and-white Warbler  Double Trouble SP
Prothonotary Warbler  Huber Preserve
Nashville Warbler  Jumping Brook Preserve
Connecticut Warbler  Sandy Hook
Orange-crowned Warbler  Cedar Bonnet Island
Common Yellowthroat  Island Beach SP
Hooded Warbler  Colliers Mills WMA
American Redstart  Cenote Zapote
Cape May Warbler  Sandy Hook
Northern Parula  Island Beach SP
Magnolia Warbler  Cenote Zapote
Bay-breasted Warbler  Island Beach SP
Blackburnian Warbler  Colliers Mills WMA
Yellow Warbler  Puerto Morelos
Blackpoll Warbler  Island Beach SP
Black-throated Blue Warbler  Island Beach SP
Palm Warbler  Whitesbog
Pine Warbler  Whitesbog
Yellow-rumped Warbler  Bridge to Nowhere
Prairie Warbler  Double Trouble SP
Black-throated Gray Warbler  Brig
Black-throated Green Warbler  Cenote Zapote
Canada Warbler  Island Beach SP
 
Scarlet Tanager  Island Beach SP
Northern Cardinal  Manahawkin WMA
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  Island Beach SP
BLUE BUNTING  Cenote Zapote
Blue Grosbeak  Colliers Mills WMA
Indigo Bunting   Emson Preserve
Dickcissel  Whitesbog
MORELET'S SEEDEATER  Mangles de Puerto Morelos
BLACK-HEADED SALTATOR  Cenote Zapote

A Piece of My Past in Japanese

A little piece of my past plopped down in my mailbox yesterday. It came in a 6 x 9 brown envelope mailed from Japan. Inside was an anthology titled 36 New York Poets. I didn't recognize the sender's name. I knew I didn't order the book. Along the edge of the cover, the only other English I could read were the names of the poets, most of whom I knew or had known, in my past. "Why am I getting this?" I said aloud, and Shari, looking at the book over my shoulder said, "Maybe you're in it." And there, at the bottom (alphabetical order) was my name. 

When I lived in New York, I spent most of my time on the fringes of the poetry "scene." I co-edited a literary magazine and press.  I published the proverbial "slim volumes" of poetry with small literary presses. I had work in the "Paris Review," the "Village Voice," and lots of obscure and ephemeral magazines. I went to readings and gave readings. Most of my friends were poets and writers. I learned printing because it was the easiest way to get stuff "out there." Sometimes I see the name of a rare book dealer in The Times and think, "Oh yeah, that's the guy who brokered our archives to a couple of universities." 

It was in those days I first learned the adage, which also applies to birding, that "the competition is so fierce because the rewards are so small."

But after a long time, I drifted away from the scene. Lots of reasons, none of them interesting, even to me. So, what the hell was this book? 

Happily, my name was in English, along with the page number my poem was on and (again, happily) while the poem was in Japanese, at least the title had been left in English (along with, I presume, its translation under it), so I could see which poem of mine had been put into the book. I was very amused to see it was one titled "People at Pay Phones." Pay phones! It's practically an historical document. I wrote the poem in 1997, when cell phones were a still something of a novelty. 

The poem was published 25 years or so ago in one of the longest running literary journals in the country, "Hanging Loose." One of the editors, Bob Hershon, was my greatest friend. Sadly, he passed away last year. (I would highly recommend you looking up his work.) Scanning the list of the poets in the anthology, I saw that all of them were associated one way or the other with HL, so I assumed there was some connection with the magazine. I emailed yesterday a couple of editors and found out today that yes, they had supplied the work to one of the anthologists, another HL contributor who lives in Japan and his associate had translated the poems. The anthology had been in the works for something like a decade, had funding, lost funding, found funding and finally came out in August. 

I've no idea how many books were printed. When we published books, we usually did 1000 copies and that was optimistic, but it didn't cost much more than doing less. So, let's say they printed between 500 & 1000 books. Here's what tickles me. Somewhere in Japan, someone, or some two or three, have read (or perhaps, even now is reading), what I set down 25 years ago in Brooklyn, after seeing a guy on a pay phone on the corner of Court and Schermerhorn slam down the handset. I had the whole poem in my head by the time I'd walked the mile to my apartment in Carroll Gardens and simply transcribed it and sent it off to get published. Never imagining, for even a nanosecond, that it would someday end up translated into Japanese. I wonder how faithful the translation is. I can tell that there are explanatory footnotes in the book (there is one for "Mickey Mantle"); I don't see one for "pay phone" so I guess the editors assume most readers will have a memory of that ancient street furniture. 

Here is what the first part of the poem looks like in Japanese:

And here is the full text itself. 

People at Pay Phones
 
I see people at pay phones
they’re all in bad moods.
Arguing with girlfriends boyfriends
in Spanish in Polish or pushing
some crap to some sucker
who’s not buying who hangs up.
 
I see people at pay phones
glaring at people with cell phones
“the smug bastards,” they think.
I see people at pay phones
who are obviously on hold
and will be until their quarter runs out.
I see people searching for small change
as their quarter runs out.
I see people at pay phones
who think it’s still only a dime.
 
I see people at pay phones
waiting for other people at pay phones
to get the fuck off.
I see people at pay phones
making bets and I see
people at pay phones taking bets
and I see a man near a pay phone
outside a candy store
telling people not to use that phone
“Why not?” “It’s out of order.”
 
I see people at pay phones
trying to break the phone
they’re so pissed off
I see people at pay phones
looking at the handset
realizing the phone is broken.
I see people at pay phones
digging around the coin return
out of habit.
 
I see people at pay phones
at Grand Central
who are lying to their bosses
and I see people at pay phones
in Penn Station totally confused.
I see people at pay phones
in the subway who can’t
hear a thing, and they’re screaming
as the train rolls in.
 
I see people at pay phones
who are late for dinner
late for the dentist
late for a date.
I see people at pay phones
thumbing through notebooks
dropping scraps of paper.
 
I see people at pay phones
actually reading
the advertisements.
I see people at pay phones
and realize I haven’t seen
a phone booth in years.
 
I see crazy people
talking on pay phones
and the line is dead
and I hear pay phones
ringing and ringing
reaching out like a beggar
until someone passing by
picks it up and
out of sheer spite
says hello then
slams down the receiver
and I can see someone
at the other end of the line
go berserk, and I see
someone giggling as he walks
along the jangling street.