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A lot of recent events are making me more introspective lately, and I have turned to poetry, again. While walking by a lake in early June, I thought of my friend who was senselessly murdered last November. (His killer is trying to beat the system with a lesser charge; the trial has been delayed to July). So, I tried my hand at haiku. A chance event in mid-May, being a first responder to a double-fatality road incident, on a beautiful evening in Anchorage, has me thinking intensely about making each day count. I can still see the face of one of the victims so clearly. A poem seemed the best response. Finally, my experiences also inspired me to publish a one-page photo essay, using a couple of my favorite portraits I took of some good friends, about women and the loves of their lives (I hope my two friends forgive me). And guys, this is not about you. (Photo of Javanese classical dancers taken at the Kraton in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, February 2009.)

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