Did It Snow For You, Claudine?

Dear Claudine,

I hope that this letter finds you well. Do you have any exciting plans for Valentine's Day? Instead of sending you a silly Valentine, I thought I would share the poem I wrote for you that appeared in an issue of Artella a couple of years ago. The attached photo is myself and my cat Audrey... at the speical "snow window" my boyfriend created for our Christmas party. There is a chance of snow in Dallas on Valentine's Day, so this poem is especially timely:

"Did It Snow For You Claudine?"

Did it snow for you, Claudine?

Did the stillness wake you? Did it take you
to the window where
the frost obscures the night?

Did you find what you were seeking
vainly peeking through the pane?

Were you lost in the familiar
‘til unmindful longing found you
at the lamppost down the road?

Were your new eyes starry blurred
while the light captured
cascading flakes
blanketing
sidewalks broken,
wind enveloping?

Did the chill remember
the long ago December child
whispering Hal David
(breathing white hot rolling fade…)
past the neighbor’s snowman
back to places kind; forgotten?

Did it snow for you Claudine?
Does the snow fall even now?

Work is Blue

Dear Claudine,

How was your birthday last week? I hope that it was filled with friends, family and groovy vibes. I played “Love is Blue” several times at work in honor of the occasion. I had intended on sending you a poem that was published a few years ago that I wrote as an homage to you called “Did It Snow for You, Claudine?” But my job has become quite a bother of late – in fact it’s become an extraordinary pain in the ass! (All apologies for the strong language.) And I find myself either bringing work home on week nights - or spending the evening in a pathetic catatonic state, unable to do much but watch “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” on DVD. My partner has been very understanding! I promise I will send you the poem soon. My sister recently introduced me to an amazing singer that I think you would really appreciate. I play her everyday in my car on my way to work. Her name is Feist and her music has been an ideal soundtrack to these strange, maddening work days. Her lovely, lyrical “Mushaboom” is a standout. Go to YouTube and catch the video for “Mushaboom – Radio Edit.” It’s an unexpected little piece of brilliant.

Love Always,
Bradley

Manhattan

Dear Claudine,

My partner and I recently spent a long weekend in Manhattan. It was a wonderful getaway filled with art and energy and magical moments that could only be experienced in New York. The only sad part about it was that our favorite record store, Footlight Records, had recently closed. I’m not sure if you were aware of Footlight or not, but they specialized in Broadway and movie soundtracks. I bought several hard-to-find records there including “At Long Last Love” and “The Lonely Lady.” We even found a guy who sold us a bootleg recording of “Carrie: The Musical.” This trip I had my sights set on finding the soundtrack to your wonderful film “The Party.” Even though they unwisely didn’t include your vocal for “Nothing to Lose,” I wanted a mint copy for my collection. Sadly, it was not meant to be. I did discover that Footlight Records has an online presence. But somehow searching for groovy vintage records online isn’t the same as spending two hours leisurely looking, touching (even smelling) the aged pressed cardboard and vinyl. I did find a wonderful little record store called House of Oldies on 35 Carmine St. and bought the 45 of your version of “Sleep Safe and Warm,” which is one of my favorites. The main reason that I’m writing today is that I wanted to tell you about our Sunday brunch at the Algonquin Hotel. We went to see this amazing woman named Barbara Carrol. Though I had previously never heard of her, she’s evidently a jazz legend and very well respected. She is an accomplished piano player and has a lovely singing voice. She brought my partner and I to tears. We were so moved that my partner stole an Algonquin spoon from our brunch so we would always remember the moment. Please don’t think badly of him – we did leave the waiter a very generous tip.

Sugar Me,
Bradley

A Tepid, Sunny Sunday in January

Dear Claudine,

I hope that this letter finds you well. I’m feeling a little melancholy today. I think it’s a combination of the icy weather we didn’t get and the fact that it’s Sunday. Sadly, the sun is out today and the temperature gage reflects an underwhelming 56 degrees. I hope that wherever you are, it’s a chilly 20-something and the snow is quietly blanketing your surroundings. “Filling the fields you used to know…” and all that. Did I tell you that I’m one of the judges for a poetry contest sponsored by a groovy art magazine? Well I am - and it’s nothing to brag about; but I just realized this morning that the deadline for the ballot is in on your birthday: Monday, January 29th. Is there a large celebration planned? Or maybe just an intimate affair with family and friends? My feeling is that it’s the latter. In my version of your party, after dinner everyone is gathered into the great room by the fireplace. There you charm everyone with “Nothing to Lose,” accompanied only by guitar. Wish I could be there! So far the poems I’ve been reviewing haven’t been so great. I tried to imagine you singing a few of the better submissions, but it was unable to change my indifference to them. Maybe I should wait to read any more until our projected ice storm tomorrow night. A tepid, sunny Sunday in January is not the ideal day to be reading poetry – amateur or otherwise.

Love (is blue),
Bradley

Love is Blue