Author: adriennestalek

Gregorio Dati (b.1362) Diary

My beloved Bandecca, went to Paradise after a nine-month illness started by a miscarriage, July 1390.

I had an illegitimate manchild by Margherita, a Tartar slave whom I had bought. He was born in Valencia on 21 December 1391.

We [business associates] renewed our partnership on 1 January 1393, when I undertook to invest 1,000 [gold] florins. I did not actually have the money but was about to get married-which I then did-and to receive the dowry which procured me a larger share and more consideration in our company… I married my second wife, Betta on 22 June… On the 26th of that same June I received a payment of 800 gold florins from the bank of Giacomino and Co. This was the dowry.

On Sunday, 17 May 1394, Betta gave birth to a girl… On Friday evening, 17 March 1396, the Lord blessed our Marriage with a male son. 12 March 1397, Betta gave birth to our third child… 27 April 1398, Betta gave birth to our fourth child. 1 July 1399, Betta had our fifth child. 11 June 1400, Betta gave birth for the sixth time. On Wednesday, 13 July 1401… Betta gave birth to our eighth child. After that my wife Betta passed on to Paradise…

The [business] partnership is to start on 1 January 1403 and to last three years…I have undertaken to put up 2,000 florins. This is how I propose to raise them: 1,370 florins… are still due to me from my old partnership… the rest I expect to obtain if I marry again this year, when I hope to find a woman with a dowry as large as God may be pleased to grant me…

I record that on 8 May 1403, I was betrothed to Ginevra, daughter of Antonio Brancacci… the dowry was 1,000 florins: 700 in cash and 300 in a farm at Campi.

On Sunday morning at terce, 27 April [1404], Ginevra gave birth to our first born son… Altogether Ginevra and I had eleven children: four boys and seven girls… After that it was God’s will to recall to himself the blessed soul of my wife Ginevra. She died in childbirth after lengthy suffering… God bless her and grant us fortitude.

I then took another wife, Caterina, the daughter of Dardano Guicciardini [30 March 1421]… The dowry was 600 florins.

Caterina, my fourth wife, miscarried after four months. On 4 October 1422… Caterina gave birth to a daughter… On Friday, 7 January 1424, Caterina gave birth to a fine healthy boy… 20 March, 1425 Caterina had another healthy and attractive child… 26 July 1426, Caterina had a fine little girl… Monday, 28 August 1427, Caterina gave birth to a fine little girl… 2 June 1431, Caterina gave birth to a girl…[At this point, with about nine of his children still alive, he stopped keeping his diary and dies in 1435.]

Moon
a meditation

Moonrise
Poised between light and dark
Moonset

Upon rising, the sun wipes all
others from the sky, except
for the moon

January

February

March

April

Moonlight is a catalyst.

Its phases a calendar
eternal
and changing
a celestial clockwork
defining time

May

June

July

August

Moongazing

In the depth of night
a light in the dark

September

October

November

December

Muse
An ephemeral invisible
influence

Orbiting
while vanishing with a breath
a muse is not a moon

“Secondary Colors” is a collaborative piece. The binding cover was inspired by Johannes Itten’s “Elements of Color”.

The color green inspired the Scherenschnitte.

After 1880 the vast stands of White Pine in Pennsylvania were nearly exhausted and loggers now directed their operations to the harvesting of the huge hemlock forests of the north central part of the state. By 1920 the seemingly endless forests had become history.

As the crow flies

While walking and reading in Pennsylvania,
I noticed from the corner of my eye…

…not far from my feet was a crow,
with a string of carrion in his beak stretching
from the road.

I looked him in the eye. He did not move.

That was 1988.

In 2008, walking in Seattle, I felt a low steady presence in the sky.

Following me, perching in trees, on lampposts,and fences…

…was a crow.

I stopped and looked him in the eye.

He continued to follow me until…

I went inside for cover.

Two true stories.