A collection of photos and poems interacting with each other in ways both mysterious and obvious.
Author: davestankowicz
Dave Stankowicz is a retired educator who lives on an island off the coast of Portland, Maine with his wife Debbie Jordan and their dog Cody. Liberated from the responsibilities of teaching he has found the space and time to pursue so much that interests him. Dave is the former host of the WMPG radio show Palm Wine Radio, and currently hosts Next To Silence - an hour long show that explores different themes, genres, artists and record labels. Next to Silence can be streamed live on Peaks Island Radio at https://peaksislandradio.com on Mondays and Fridays @ 7:00 PM EDT, and Tuesdays @noon. You can also stream archived shows at his site (category: next to silence)
He continues his lifelong efforts to master space and time.
I pass him every morning on my way to the bus— the skeleton with wings, painted crooked on the bodega wall. At first, he made me uneasy. Too bold, too broken, arms raised like he knew something I didn’t want to hear.
The words above his head— I’M NO LONGER BROKEN— felt like a dare. Who says that out loud?
But weeks turned into months, and somehow I started looking for him. On gray days his grin felt like defiance. On warm mornings the light hit just right, like he was lit from the inside.
People tagged around him, but no one painted over. Not once.
I don’t believe in miracles, but I believe in what you get used to, what grows on you, what begins to speak without ever moving its lips.
These days, I nod to him— a small, silent thing. Not because I understand, but because I think he sees me, too.
This week on Next To Silence we drift back to the glow of street lamps and transistor radios, to harmonies that once echoed off stoops and fire escapes with the third and final journey through the heart of doo wop—songs of devotion, heartbreak, summer nights, and promises whispered beneath porch lights. From the innocent to the smoldering and back again, let the voices carry you somewhere just out of reach, just next to silence.
The playlist for the week of April 21, 2025 ☞
00.:00:00 The Moonglows – Sincerely
00:04:49 The Cadillacs – Speedo
00:06:57 The Crew Cuts – Sh-Boom
00:09:42 The Platters – Only You (And You Alone)
00:12:17 The Drifters – Save the Last Dance for Me
00:14:48 Jerry Butler – For Your Precious Love
00:17:32 The Duprees – You Belong To Me
00:20:18 The Dreamlovers – When We Get Married
00:22:42 Rosie & The Originals – Angel Baby
00:26:24 The Mello-Kings – Tonite Tonite
00:32:12 The Danleers – One Summer Night
00:34:24 Shep & The Limelites – Daddy’s Home
00:37:16 The Marvelettes – Playboy
00:40:00 Hank Ballard – Work With Me Annie
00:42:30 Hank Ballard – Annie Had a Baby
00:45:09 Billy Ward & The Dominoes – Sixty Minute Man
00:47:38 The Del-Vikings – Oh Tonight
00:52:53 Carla Thomas – Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)
00:55:06 Chuck Jackson – Any Day Now
00:58:48 Jesse Belvin – Goodnight My Love
01:01:55 The Cadillacs – Gloria
01:04:46 The Spaniels – Goodnite Sweetheart, Goodnite
01:07:29 The Pentagons – To Be Loved (Forever)
01:09:57 Jackie Wilson – Lonely Teardrops
01:12:34 Dion – Donna the Prima Donna
01:15:26 The Drifters – This Magic Moment
01:17:52 Little Anthony & The Imperials – I’m On the Outside (Looking In)
01:20:58 The Echoes – Baby Blue
01:28:20 The Essex – Easier Said Than Done
Next To Silence streams live at:
1700AM and on the web at PeaksIslandRadio.com
On:
Mondays Fridays @7:00PM
Tuesdays @Noon
You can find the archives of past shows at PeaksIslandRadio.com. Click on SCHEDULE – scroll down to NEXT TO SILENCE
The boardwalk ends like a pension plan that stopped showing up. A sign says area closed, but the ocean never followed rules.
Planks slump like ex-employees waiting for purpose to call back. Shadows come and go— no clock, no punchline, just habit.
They called it retirement— a view, some quiet, the slow reward. But it feels more like a layoff nobody bothered to announce.
No memos, no coffee, no names left to forget. Just wind filing its own report. I lean on the rail, light fading. So this is what all the meetings were for.
There it hangs like it forgot something, like maybe it left its body behind— too clean, too soft, too damn dreamy for this busted room and crooked light.
Bella wore it drunk, barefoot, laughing through the wreckage of her last good thought. Said she’d marry a trumpet player. She didn’t. She left it on a fire escape.
Luna danced in it once— no shoes, no god, just rain. She drowned in her bathtub, water humming hymns, dress breathing.
And Zoe? Zoe wore it to the trial, eyes full of dust from forgotten dreams. She left it spinning on a motel fan, a slow ghost orbiting her exit wound.
The cleaning lady touches it with gloves, crosses herself, whispers to the floor. She’s seen blood come out of tile grout— but never anything that shrieks like this.
No one claims it now, while it drapes over air like it’s trying to disappear. Some say it hums when no one’s near, a lullaby with teeth behind the silk.
This week’s show journeys into the transcendent world of John Coltrane, a musician whose work embodies both the depth of human struggle and the heights of spiritual awakening. Coltrane’s music evolved from bebop to free jazz, but his search for truth—both personal and universal—remained constant. From meditative ballads to fervent expressions of devotion, this playlist highlights his spiritual essence, culminating in A Love Supreme, his masterpiece of gratitude and enlightenment.
John Coltrane’s spiritual journey was not just in his music, but in his life. Today we honor his search for truth, love, and the divine.
PLAYLIST for the week of April 14, 2025:
00:00:00 John Coltrane -Dear Lord
00:08:08 John Coltrane Quartet -Spiritual (Live at the Village Vanguard, 1961)
00:21:50 John Coltrane – Naima
00:26:10 John Coltrane – Alabama
00:28:33 John Coltrane – After The Rain
00:32:41 John Coltrane Quartet – Wise One
00:41:42 John Coltrane – I Want to Talk About You
00:57:18 John Coltrane – A Love Supreme Pt. I – Acknowledgement
01:05:00 John Coltrane – A Love Supreme Pt. II – Resolution
01:12:18 John Coltrane – A Love Supreme Pt. III – Pursuance
01:22:59 John Coltrane – A Love Supreme Pt. IV – Psalm
To all my friends: Happy Easter, Happy Passover, thanks for listening.
I’m Box #8, red, fabulous, and slightly tilted. Don’t judge—I’ve held more secrets than your therapist. The orange one’s always anxious— thinks rain is a government experiment.
Yellow believes he’s a portal to the insect realm. Keeps whispering “The beetle king will return.” Green meditates. Sends vibes to the squirrels. We don’t ask what’s in his letters.
Blue gets love notes. Every. Single. Day. Claims it's a curse. We think he likes it. Purple? Full-on drama. Tarot cards, glitter, once screamed because someone mailed a potato.
We’ve seen it all— breakup letters sealed with glitter tears, late bills folded like apologies, invitations no one answered.
Still, we hold space. For hope. For coupons. For the next peculiar thing you’ll send.
We’re not just mailboxes. We’re personalities with hinges. We hold the town’s gossip, taxes, dreams, and junk. We’ve seen things. Heard things. Now please—lift gently. No one likes a slam.
This week Next To Silence dives into the legendary songs of Carole King and Gerry Goffin—one of the most iconic songwriting duos in music history. Their melodies shaped the sound of pop, soul, and rock from the ‘60s onward, performed by artists like The Shirelles, The Drifters, Dusty Springfield, and even The Monkees. We’ll explore their greatest hits, uncover the stories behind the music, and celebrate the lasting impact of their songwriting magic. Whether you’re reminiscing or discovering these classics for the first time, please sit back and enjoy the timeless sound of Goffin & King.
The playlist for the week of April 7, 2025 ☞
00:00:00 The Shirelles -Will You Love Me Tomorrow
00:04:04 Bobby Vee -Take Good Care of My Baby
00:07:10 Little Eva -The Loco-Motion
00:09:26 The Drifters -Up on the Roof
00:11:59 The Monkees -Pleasant Valley Sunday
00:15:12 Freddie Scott -Hey Girl
00:18:17 Steve Lawrence -Go Away Little Girl
00:20:29 The Chiffons -One Fine Day
00:22:35 Earl-Jean -I’m into Something Good
00:25:25 Aretha Franklin -(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
00:28:06 Dusty Springfield -Some Of Your Lovin’
00:34:57 The Cookies -Don’t Say Nothin’ Bad (About My Baby)
00:37:37 Maxine Brown -Oh No Not My Baby
00:40:12 The Byrds -Wasn’t Born to Follow
00:42:17 The Everly Brothers -Crying in the Rain
00:44:14 Gerry & The Pacemakers -I’ll Be There
00:47:25 Dusty Springfield -No Easy Way Down
0050:33 The Animals -Don’t Bring Me Down
00:53:46 The Righteous Brothers -Just Once In My Life
01:01:36 The Drifters -When My Little Girl Is Smiling
01:04:07 Betty Everett -I Can’t Hear You
01:06:40 Tony Orlando -Bless You
01:08:49 The Righteous Brothers -Hung On You
01:12:08 Dee Dee Warwick -Yours Until Tomorrow
01:14:30 Del Shannon -Cry Myself to Sleep
01:20:02 Carole King -You’ve Got a Friend
Next To Silence streams live at:
1700AM and on the web at PeaksIslandRadio.com
On:
Mondays Fridays @7:00PM
Tuesdays @Noon
You can find the archives of past shows at PeaksIslandRadio.com. Click on SCHEDULE – scroll down to NEXT TO SILENCE
We walked through that tunnel again last night. Water up to our ankles, the smell of something old. Graffiti on the walls—names, dates, symbols we couldn't read. You said it felt like a dream you wouldn’t tell me.
The rope still hung from the ceiling, swaying slightly. I wondered who put it there, and why. Our reflections in the water looked back at us, distorted, like strangers we have become.
Beyond the tunnel, the street lights flickered. We stood there, listening to the distant hum. I wanted to say something, but the words— they just weren't there.
The distance between us stretched like the tunnel itself, longer than before, heavier than silence. We turned around and walked back, leaving the tunnel— and what we once had—to its own darkness.
Boho Dreams of Space and Time 