The Usefulness of Hippopotamus: A Humorous Chapbook for Trying Times

By Vincent J. Tomeo

I am staring at a blank piece of paper, wondering what to write. Where do I begin? My mind begins to wander-pleasant thoughts of Disney's Fantasia

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bookside Press
• Release date: May 7, 2024
• ISBN: 9781778833519

Vincent J. Tomeo

Vincent J. Tomeo was born and raised in Corona, Queens, NYC, and has lived in the most diversified urban area on the planet his entire life. He has recited his poetry everywhere across the United States, throughout Queens, and internationally, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Italy, Tanzania, Kenya, Spain, Morocco, Portugal, Germany, and France. Vincent J. Tomeo is a poet. Regarding poetry, his proudest accomplishments are the publication of his book on June 2, 2020, "My Cemetery Friends: A Garden of Encounters at Mount Saint Mary in Queens, New York" see blog: vincentjtomeo.com) winning Honorable Mention in the Rainer Maria Rilke International Poetry Competition and having His poem, "A View from a Tower in Calabria, Italy," sculpted into marble in Italy. (You can read that story online, "Times Ledger: Flushing poet honored in Italy. Immortal Words, poem sculpted into marble, March 24-30, 2017.") Vincent J. Tomeo, an NYC author, is widely published in both the US and internationally. In July 2018, Vincent was awarded "The Best Overall Free Verse" by United Poets Laureate International World Brotherhood and Peace Through Poetry, World Congress of Poets, Bangkok, Thailand, for his poem, "I Visited the Grave of Marine Michael D. Glover." Another unique publication is Vincent's poem, "Idaho," framed, mounted, and displayed on a wall in the Idaho Potato Museum, Blackfoot, Id. In 2021, two of Mr. Tomeo's poems, "Belleau Wood 2020" and "Remembering A corona Marine, US Marine, Private William Frederick Moore," will be distributed and read in schools as part of the Aisne-Marne (WWI) Cemetery Project, Rue des Chevaliers Colomb, 02400 Belleau, France. Author of, My Cemetery Friends: A Garden of Encounter at Mount Saint Mary in Queens, New York, It is a celebration of life in a garden setting and much more, and The Usefulness of Hippopotamus: A Humorous Chapbook for a Trying Times. Humor is the best medicine. View blog; vincentjtomeo.com

Book preview

Introduction

The Usefulness of Hippopotamus: A Humorous Chapbook For Trying Times.

It is often humor that helps one cope with the most challenging, stressful, unheard, and unpredictable circumstances during trying times. And so often, we return to humor to help us endure and get through challenging times. Now, as I look back on my life, I must laugh at the encounters that I thought at the time to be the most difficult, embarrassing, and unbearable situations. And so, I have written this chapbook. Walk with me into a poem, laugh, smile, and this will make your day brighter.

It all started when I was in college. A trend at the time was to go streaking. So, like a naked cherub, I ran around Washington Square Park, considered the campus of New York University. When I came back from my spin, all my clothing was stolen. I had to take the New York City Subway home, with no clothes on, wrapped in the New York Times. No one said a word. At the time, it was unbearable. Decades later, I can now laugh.

Recently, I visited North Dakota, and I had a humorous experience over my name. Never having had Starbucks coffee before I stepped into a Starbucks in Fargo, N.D. to order a cup. Being from New York, I was surprised when an attentive young barista asked my name. My reply, Why? No one had ever asked my name when ordering coffee in New York City. So, I was suspicious. An