I write biographies, essays, literary criticism and book reviews, all of which are exercises in description, synthesis, evaluation and interpretation.  This kind of writing keeps me awake and keeps me grounded in the material world.  I also write and translate poetry.  This is where I dance, drum, talk to animals, feel colors, taste sadness and generally disregard the rules of logic.  My poems are exercises in awareness.  They are a record of moments of perception, of mysteries pondered and lessons learned.