the entrepreneur

I dreamt of us. 

you had plans for me. 

I awakened 

consumed. 

Poem © 2009 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo © 2008 by R. Burnett Baker

The Livin' Is Easy

Summertime.  The livin' is easy.  

Well, I suppose not so easy if you're living in Texas this summer.  But finally we've had some summer weather here in New York.  You know, 80℉ and a bit of humidity.  I've actually turned a little fan on in my bedroom!  

And one little luxury in summer is slipping into a bed with clean cotton sheets then sliding your legs and feet around, searching for those cool cotton patches under the covers.  Much easier than chopping cotton at harvest time in heat and dust.  

A fan in summer and cool cotton sheets:  Now THAT's livin' easy! 

Rick Baker 

Rochester, NY 

July 29,2009 

cool skin 

sultry summer 

evenings 

standing before a fan: 

cool skin, 

soothing wind. 

Poem © 2008 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo © 2009 by R. Burnett Baker 

cotton patch

on bedsheets 

in summer heat 

legs seek 

a cool 

cotton patch. 

Poem © 2006 by R. Burnett Baker

 

gentle kiss 

one 

gentle kiss 

upon your naked shoulder 

paints a thousand words of love 

on the canvas flesh of 

one gentle 

kiss. 

Poem © 2005 by R. Burnett Baker

Poem from 2005 chapbook "Souliloquy" by R. Baker.

lake shore 

tonight I walked Ontario's south lake shore 

as did we the evening previous. 

smooth round red rocks       whispered 

of time's violent eons. 

patterned driftwood              spoke 

to cycles of birth, life, and dying, 

held between touching fingers. 

an sherbet orange sunset sky 

melded horizon to water, 

rock to wood,

 

the stories of our lives 

to waves beneath our 

feet. 

Poem © 2007 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo © 2008 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo taken by R. Baker at  Durand Eastman beach, Lake Ontario, Rochester, NY 2008.

before sunset drowns me 

on

a rugged beach 

sipping the lake, 

a final blast 

of color 

rounded the shore, 

my feet darkened 

gray upon 

driftwood and stones; 

let me leave 

before sunset 

drowns me 

with sounds 

of water, night, 

and seagulls 

sounding an 

alarm. 

Poem © 2009 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo © 2009 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo of Lake Ontario , Greece, NY  taken by R. Baker, July 17, 2009. 

distance between

what is 

the distance between

love and indifference? 

the time spent thinking 

of someone other 

than yourself? 

or the length 

of raindrops 

streaking down 

a window? 

Poem © 2009 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo © 2009 by R. Burnett Baker 

fractured clouds 

a waning crescent moon

to the east, 

venus bright in 

southern skies 

offered little light 

for a three AM walk; 

air cooled by 

passing rain showers, 

I dreamed of 

sleep, 

my eyes heavy 

as night 

but open like 

fractured clouds. 

Poem © 2009 by R. Burnett Baker 

Ink, colored pencil drawing by R. Baker, 1977,

digitally colorized 2009. 

Humor in the Stars, Buck

Seldom do I go shopping, but today I went to Eastview Mall in Victor, NY for something specific.  Victor, NY is saturated with upper middle class snots, and Eastview Mall is where the "upscale" stores are in the Rochester area.  Whatever. 

In the center of the mall is a Starbucks.  Ever since I didn't get hired by them, I've pretty much boycotted Starbucks.  That's not hard to do since their coffee tastes like burnt cardboard on a good day.  Just my opinion, but taste buds tell the story.  Do I sound bitter?  Almost as bitter as their coffee! 

Anyway, I was in the mood for one of those green icy thingys they make at Starbucks.  So I waited in line with the snots and their snotty offspring.  When my turn came to place my order I asked the "barista" if they still made those "green tea slappychinos".  Without breaking a hint of a smile, he said to me as if he thought he was being educational, "We make a green tea FRAPPAchino."   I said to him, "That was a joke....nevermind."  I asked for a large.  He rephrased that by asking me "You mean 'Grande'?"  If anyone needed to be bitchslapped it was this guy.  Let's call him "Buck".   

There were three of these "Starbuckians"  working today.  (YES, they're called that by corporate, but that's another essay!)  And NEVER once did I see them smile.  Not once!  Guess their sense of humor is in the stars. 

Two years ago I was in a local Starbucks.  The three following pieces were written with a sense of humor as I sat and observed the surroundings.  It was part of my research.  After all, I was to have several interviews with the company at that time.  Guess I wasn't "Starbuckian" enough. 

Whatever. 

Rick Baker 

July 15, 2009

Rochester, NY 

Note:  All three selections from the chapbook "manic muse and other observations", 2007.

soy

at the fancy coffee shop

a patron watches a barista 

whip up her beverage 

then asks if it has cream 

to which the barista says "yes" 

to which the patron says "oh" 

to which the barista asks 

"did you not want cream?" 

to which the patron replys

"I really wanted soy, but that's ok" 

at which point I considered 

the stupidity of the exchange 

since neither woman really knew 

what soy is and the damned drink 

was being poured into a 

freakin recycled paper 

cup 

and anyway, 

I prefer my coffee 

in fine bone china 

half and half 

please. 

Poem © 2007 by R. Burnett Baker 

100 teabags 

writing my name on a cup: 

a ploy giving appearances 

of exclusivity to my tea, 

costing more than 100 teabags 

at the grocery store. 

taking money at one end of the counter 

and handing over my drink at the other end: 

making simple process 

a ritual, an added value. 

I passed the grocery store 

to validate pomposity

simply because I'm 

too lazy to fill a cup 

myself and push the 

microwave button. 

all at the same 

end of the counter. 

Poem © 2007 by R. Burnett Baker 

talking business 

a man slurping latte 

engages a woman

at the table, latte too, 

both with pens, paper 

and notepads, talking 

business. 

she in stretch pants 

and rubber slippers. 

he, white shirt and tie, 

full and stuffed 

in his suit. 

she counting calories 

in a plastic dome-topped 

cup. 

he, like June, 

bustin' out all over. 

Poem © 2007 by R. Burnett Baker 

All photographs © 2009 by R.Burnett Baker 

Ithaca Is Gorges

That's a bumper sticker.  You see it all over Western New York.  "Ithaca Is Gorges".  It is a beautiful part of the state:  A small college town at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes area of central New York.  

I was working night shifts in Ithaca for the past week.  Reporting for work at 9pm, I saw some very beautiful sunset skys around 8:45 pm.  By 5am the first hint of the Earth revolving was an ever-so-faint blue sky crawling over the hills from the east.  On the face of those hills sits Cornell University, still dark and sleeping.  Leaving the parking lot at 6am yesterday, I snapped a few photos with my cell phone of the streaking sunlight shooting over those same hills.  Sunrise in this town of fewer than 30,000 people is quite stunning, cheesy bumper stickers notwithstanding! 

Rick Baker 

Rochester, NY 

July 12, 2009

night broken 

still night 

broken by 

glorious color 

lightrays 

streak behind 

sleeping mountains. 

who, but me, 

has witnessed 

morning's debut? 

Poem © 2009 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo © 2009 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo taken by R. Baker, July 11, 2009 in Ithaca, NY. 

through a hollow

I will 

touch you 

when my arm 

grows longer 

or I taller 

or you 

closer than now 

you will 

touch me each time 

your voice speaks 

within earshot 

or through 

a hollow of memories 

searching for 

escape. 

Poem © 2007 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo © 2009 by R. Burnett Baker 

eclipse 

your words of affection

blind my pragmatic heart. 

your actions 

eclipse 

the 

sun. 

Poem © 2009 by R. Burnett Baker 

Photo © 2009 by R. Burnett Baker