(Kinda crazy, but I hope fun...) Ok. Upfront, Harry has battled numerous health problems, and they've gotten increasingly more intense w/ each year. He'll battle through them, emerge, and then new ones come while the old ones get worse. Age is a tough partner, as many of us are learning...but Harry (in his early 90s) has received an excessive share. So my heart and wishes go out to him; and I hope these images will lift his spirits at least a little, in a year in which his body has riddled him relentlessly. His work: I've spoken often of Harry's pursuit of anything the camera can record: Alongside his gorgeous flower shots (incl his sumptuous roses), he shoots abandoned and torn-up shoes, old beat up street markers, wonderfully decayed garage doors, LA fog (amazing, thick shots), beautiful fences w/ razor-sharp shadows, those pages of amazing antique cars, and on and on. His patience for detail is endless, and he's bent and twisted in ways that would've put me in traction. He's proven that one doesn't have to be in the Himalayas to find "the decisive moment": A teacher once said: "Students: The poem is right beneath your feet." In other words, if you're a poet, look no further than your backyard: Your poems are waiting for you there...He's even done abstract art, which, as an old abstractionist, I've loved. Additionally he leaves wonderfully articulate, caring comments which have meant the world to me. I discovered Harry years back, and he's supported me constantly and has always been very, very kind. And I'm grateful for every bit of it. I deeply hope you find relief, Harry. Even though I know you're under a deluge, and you're very, very tired. I wish you all the strength in the world, and tell you it's a privilege to know you and to have received so much kindness and support from you; and I hope you have many more birthdays with a lot more strength than 2019 has offered. My gratitude for your friendship is great, my honor for your service is equally so (Harry fought in WWII, in the harrowing Pacific), and my hopes for your well being remain boundless. Happy birthday, friend, and may the muses bless you with all their light and peace. With love, blessings (secular!!!) and all the health in the world, mark ------------------