JAMES HOUSTON ARTS

  • ANATOMY of a JARANA

    Hernán Cortés landed in what is now Veracruz, México in February 1519 igniting, in addition to wars, indoctrination, pestilence and such, an immigration wave into that part of the Americas. This resulted in the introduction to the indigenous Nahuatl people stringed instruments such as the vihuela and baroque guitar, adapted and adopted into the folk-poetry…

    JAMES HOUSTON

  • HOW FAR AWAY IS AWAY

    Do I wish I still had itThat old Martin D-18How far away is awayAnd just how long has it been Do I still hear it ringDoes it still strike a chordIs it in someones’ handsIs it still as adored As when I once played itAdmired the grain in its woodDoes it make someone feelDoes it…

    JAMES HOUSTON

  • IS THIS WHAT WATER IS?

    At the end of its reachApex of leafThe slow sudden releaseFrom the point of a whorlA translucent pearlGift to the world Sheening the skinRising withinOn needles and pinsCombing all fearOf the doubting believerThe sweating veneer A sail catches windBoth the means and the endHow a journey beginsOne wave at a timeOne prow through the brineA…

    JAMES HOUSTON

  • PENPAL LETTERS

    PENPAL LETTERS You have to have oneTo write oneYou have to write oneTo have one A fountain pen rulesBallpoint sufficesGraphite, finger paint, crayonFelt-tipped markerCalligraphy, typewriterInk pads & letter stampsScrapbooking, graphic artMagazine & newspaper clippingsAdhered like old movie ransom notesFair game, all Affix a stampAnd walk itTo the corner boxIt’s worth the paperYou printed it onAnd…

    JAMES HOUSTON

  • APOTROPAIC

    In my childhoodThere was a proliferationOf Lucky Rabbit’s FeetStocked near the postcard rackAt Woolworth’s Five & DimeAnd Kresge’s StoresDown past the lunch counterThe egg salad, the BLT’sAnd Breakfast-Served-All-DayA few aisles over where you couldScent the powders and perfumesFrom the Notions Department Ferruled and hungOn a snake chain in a binNext to the beaded beltsLettered “Niagara…

    JAMES HOUSTON

  • LATE BEETHOVEN

    What if all the soundYou ever heard existedAs a memory © jameshoustonarts 2025 The above senryu was sourced from three experiences: Listening to a National Public Radio (NPR) program, I heard a segment of a weekly piece called From the Top where the host performs a classical piece of music with young musicians/composers, usually aged…

    JAMES HOUSTON

  • INDIFFERENCE

    INDIFFERENCE The letters of loveAre spread overLandscapes in bannersOf shimmered paint Bashed away with stick and ballAgainst walls of resistanceAs if it could everBe forced or tamed Counted and discountedWith each plucked petalFrom unfortunate flowersUntil none is left to reconcile * * * * * While the flurriedHaunt of hate in diaphanousHood with liquid gazeFrequents…

    JAMES HOUSTON

  • “STREET” FEATURE

    I have, previously, made reference to my association with the Vancouver Street Photography Collective (VANSPC). Since my introduction and subsequent membership over the last two-plus years, I have been challenged by this genre in photography. I very much enjoy making images of landscapes, architecture and creating travel journals using photography… but, “Street” requires more than…

    JAMES HOUSTON

  • THE FLIGHTING SPIRIT

    The various segments in flying on a commercial airline involve a systemic narrowing; from the world-at large to airport concourse, security queues, gate corridors, boarding ramps and, finally, that sub-middling aisle to the smaller squeeze of a slender and assigned seat. By the time one is strapped in, all spacial identity is reduced to a…

    JAMES HOUSTON

  • IN THE MORNING, EARLY

    Should you doubt that the dawnCan cleanse and clear your eyesSpit into your open palmAnd render light your promisesThat the air breathes for youAnd beats your heart as surelyIf you doubt the dawn lacks these truthsCome with meIn the morning, early © jameshoustonarts 2024

    JAMES HOUSTON