Does the nature of
importance disqualify
private recordings?

Could this context give
more than it takes frustration?
Is taking the goal?

The Ideal Goal has
the character of puzzles
missing edge pieces.

Fun, more challenging,
Not suitable for framing
theoretically.

But one could work out
all kinks in one's diary.
Call it a journal.

Suck out emotion.
Make it all scientific,
theoretical.

Make it so complex
that those smarter than you will
find it beautiful.

Also note that a small handful of the haiku in the project require Javascript or CSS (which you won't see in the RSS version) to be viewed as intended.

You do not need plans
or education to write
about love letters.

You just need gusto,
chutzpah and the misguided
determination.

Of cojones sized
to match the Ford Aerostar
driven by your mom.

You get all these things
the regular way. The way
everybody does.

Not making the team
by not trying out, staying
in the center of.

The speaker array
inherited from your dad,
where your desk lines up.

Practicing nightly
for the day you'll finally
learn to pull the pen.

Also note that a small handful of the haiku in the project require Javascript or CSS (which you won't see in the RSS version) to be viewed as intended.

the audiophile
as «I am balanced and sharp»
with no sense of style

the presentation
as «I have chosen wisely»
in the form of form

the random shading
as «I will be what will be»
arbitrary depth

the third dimension
as «I am at last in place»
complicating aim

The Last Chance Saloon
as «I am in last place at»
you didn't make up

the dogs, still barking
as «I have told you before»
the girls and the boys

the rotary phone
as «I am still in the hall»
to remember times

Also note that a small handful of the haiku in the project require Javascript or CSS (which you won't see in the RSS version) to be viewed as intended.

the book, like the phrase
to such an extent that it
is a film and you're

stolen from the book,
made the sense that brings on the
walking in it or

is nothing but a
quiet moment between two
maybe thinking some

blueprint or a map
childhood friends (while still children)
thought and throwing rocks

which, at the time, sat
lasting until the one turns
into the creek with

well internally
to the other, compelled to
your friend, but throwing

with the way we're wired
say, "do you ever feel life
isn't the real thing?"

Also note that a small handful of the haiku in the project require Javascript or CSS (which you won't see in the RSS version) to be viewed as intended.

On the Concept of
the Abstract Sense of Mary,
why is more not said?

Sir Would-Be Robert —
Is this the Fault of Caution?
Fear of The Mistake?

Is this the Belief
That Public Declaration
Has a Permanence?

(Followed on the heels
by the Belief That Private
Assertions Do Not)?

What of a Mary
in the context of the "real"
Robert-as-Robert?

Is her cautious tack
some kind of Nature/Nurture?
Is it Feminist?

Was she simply not —
asked? allowed? inspired? inclined?
happy? aware? done?

Also note that a small handful of the haiku in the project require Javascript or CSS (which you won't see in the RSS version) to be viewed as intended.

Perhaps this seems crass
to you, irresponsible
and belligerent.

You should have to try
being a spy, walking miles
in my fedora.

You need to be left
in hairy situations
with archnemeses.

It's not that you were
born at the Silver Spoon Ranch,
already retired.

It's that in all roles
serving as jobs in your life
you're simply one you.

Further, I know you;
The you you are is not you.
It's not the real you.

That you makes me want
to tell him where I've hidden
all of the bodies.

Also note that a small handful of the haiku in the project require Javascript or CSS (which you won't see in the RSS version) to be viewed as intended.

I found those pictures,
the ones I took just before
I left you behind.

The way I deal with,
interact with my own kind
is a miscarriage.

You and your terrors,
how you are loathe to contact
faux fur and dragged it.

The krinkle ball fetch
and the determination
of a worthy leap.

A tiny escape,
tromp down the stairs, and I joked
you misplaced your keys.

I watched you stompstep
accidentally on a bee,
scooped you up in tears.

On the stool, smelling
the wind outside the storm door,
beside your brother.

Also note that a small handful of the haiku in the project require Javascript or CSS (which you won't see in the RSS version) to be viewed as intended.

Hi Derek,

We've never met, but I have worked for you for the past five months as a PHP developer.

You're an impressive individual, and you've been an important force in independent music. You most likely will continue to be, and I sincerely wish you well in your new pursuits.

I would like to offer you some words of advice as a person, as an adult and as your former employee. No, I have never started a company. I've only worked in this industry for about 11 years, but my advice isn't technical or financial. It's personal, and I have been a human my whole life, just like you.

The advice at the core is very simple: You would do well to be more humble and recognize the accomplishments of others.

I'm far from perfect in this regard myself, so you may consider that grain of salt however you'd like. I hope it's not large enough in your mind to let you completely ignore my criticisms, but I know it's ultimately up to you. Just like the way you treat others is up to you.

When you say things like "I designed all the internal systems to run without me, so that I could be free to go learn and invent new things," you do a disservice to the people who have been hired to maintain, improve and administrate those internal systems. When you are writing publicly about CD Baby, this is almost exclusively the tone you use and the point you make. You frequently use your website to crow about your accomplishments and conveniently forget that there are other people without whom the internal system you originally designed alone would absolutely not work whether you were present or not.

Do I want public credit for doing my job? No. Not at all. I just feel bad myself and on behalf of everyone who does their job daily at CD Baby that you continue to word things in ways that never give any credit to the people you've directly or indirectly hired.

As a company grows, I expect it to need more people to do the growing amount of work. I also expect you, as a business person and as someone who likes to pursue new ideas, to hire people to take tasks off of your plate so you can pursue new things. I do not begrudge you that choice or luxury. It's something you enjoy, and you have earned it by getting an idea off of the ground to such an extent that you can leave it in others' hands and continue to profit.

But you can't have it both ways. You can't be the only reason this company is still what it is while not participating in it. And you can't say that it continues to run because of some system you designed without sounding like you don't respect the almost 100 people who keep CD Baby running without your participation. And frankly, you don't respect those people. You are even aware that you don't care about them, but you'll even spin that realization into something that makes you sound insightful rather than callous. You've spent so much time thinking about self-actualization it seems you've forgotten that self has the potential to be very damaging to the others whose viewpoints you insist you "really do" consider.

Here's why I felt compelled to criticize you in this way: The "about" page on cdbaby.com declared you the sole developer until yesterday when you sold the company and removed yourself from that page. I was awake and saw the automatically generated email a couple hours after you made the changes to the code after midnight. I was checking my work email at 2:45 AM on a Monday (which happened to also be my birthday) because I was putting in more hours than usual working on a big project for CD Baby. I never liked that the wording of that page was outdated, but I never felt personally insulted by it until I saw you change it while I was working unpaid overtime for a company I didn't even realize you had just sold.

If it's really true that you've "hardly been there since 2002," don't you think it's about time you stopped acting like you are still the only reason this company is successful? You don't impress me as the type of person who is content to rest on his laurels, but you've been resting on this particular set for so long that it borders on ludicrous.

I'm not angry. I just think it's time someone pointed out that your actions belie what you write in your blog and preach to yourself and those who will listen. I hope that this criticism is valuable to you. Taking risks as prescribed by your beloved Abraham Maslow may be a great thing, but I'm not so sure that stepping on other people to make oneself look better is considered a risk unless the people you're stepping on have a real power and potential to fight back.

I realize this is largely moot now because you are no longer a part of CD Baby. Perhaps I'm chicken for waiting to say something like this until you ceased to be my employer, but I doubt anyone would find my financial self-preservation a surprising decision under the circumstances. You are more influential than I in the industry where I hope to continue to make my living, though, and this is a public forum. So I am arguably still taking a very big risk.

While I doubt that you've "always thought" it, I do agree that Disc Makers will probably do a better job of running CD Baby than you have. I'm not upset about the company changing hands at all. I'm quite optimistic and excited about what we might be able to accomplish under the wing of Disc Makers. I do believe in CD Baby as a company and as an idea, and I will continue to take pride in working here even when the name of the company on my paycheck changes.

I'm even genuinely excited that you might start another service for the independent artist, because I know you have the resources and drive to do it, you're smart and you're capable of coming up with very impressive ideas. I hope, however, that in your future endeavors you recognize the people who help you along the way. As I said, you're an impressive person. There's really no reason for you to bend the truth or lie to seem more impressive than you already are. Especially not at the expense of other people.

Best Wishes,

Martin

compliment the day
nothing to complain about
chastise the speaker

rise up, morally
when implication calls for
junk in the trunk's praise

in the brochure's chair
color, always a woman
on the brochure's couch

not a proper meal
an ambiguous title
intentionally

the smell of mommy
going out, dressed to the nines
for me meant to church

you are still, even
including himself, he says
the worst cocksucker

stand on the lever
when the lid lifts itself, fall
on your knees, release

Also note that a small handful of the haiku in the project require Javascript or CSS (which you won't see in the RSS version) to be viewed as intended.