10.26.09
Flowers
There were flowers
On the table where he messed up,
Bright, gerbera daisies
Even though it was winter
And everything was cold and gray.
It was always cold in Chicago,
Always.
If the sun ever kissed us
For more than a moment,
We’d shrivel up
Like flowers
And die.
10.07.09
Writing Opportunities Here!
Good news! I just got an internship as the editor-in-chief of an online women’s magazine! My magazine needs great, original content so I’m on the lookout for writers. If you’re writing for me, you get the freedom to choose your topic and to write as much (or as little – as long as you produce at least one article) as you’d like. If you have a passion for women’s issues and you love to write, I’d love to hear from you!
If interested, go here for more info!
09.27.09
Our Fat, Fat Fingers
That September.
Do you remember
Ben Folds Five and then
Just Ben,
Quiet feelings and
Coffee colored evenings?
Our fingers got fat
From playing piano,
Callused and fat
From music and writing.
Do you remember?
I could say nothing
And be something!
I’d whisper and ears
Would shift like a cat’s.
Do you remember?
Do you remember that September
Feeling the autumn chill
Creep over the lake and
Crawl between our fingers,
Our fat, fat callused fingers
That said everything so
Our mouths didn’t have to?
09.11.09
To Drown
Oh! To drown!
I imagine great ecstasy!
To hear the fish sing and
Do other fish things,
To take an elevator
To the bottom of the sea
And wait
For the water to fill my eyes and ears
Until all
Is blue
And quiet-
Oh! To drown!
I imagine sweet peace!
In a warm bath, in a hot bath
Letting thin water cover me
And fill my lungs
Removing the burden of
Each breath
And each
Heart
Beat-
Oh! To drown!
In a shallow glass
Sipping, lapping,
The full moon dips in and
Refracts into thousands of tentacles
Grabbing my lips!
Oh! To drown!
In the ecstasy and silence,
In the bottom of the sea
And shallow glass!
The moon’s large eyes
Smile at me at last!
The night is not dark
But I am alone
And the waves on the shore
Are calling me home!
09.01.09
Restaurant Reviews
I’m contributing to a new blog about Chicago BYOB restaurants called “BYOB Baby!”. Check out my review of Mado here!
08.24.09
Autumn in August
The El train interrupts noise with noise
As I sit and eat unapproved food
From an unsolicited cafe,
Fresh blueberries, just picked
Sweet, tender, and not purchased here.
The cars float by my gaze
Like dead leaves in a wind tunnel
And I wonder how I will change
This year, when the seasons do.
08.19.09
City Pent
To one who has been long in city pent ‘Tis very sweet to look into the fair And open face of heaven, - to breathe a prayer Full in the smile of the blue firmament -John Keats But with you, nothing else matters, The trash on the beach, The black on our feet From walking the streets, Are simply passing observations That fill the gaps in conversations Of more important things. We still don’t even believe we live here, In the heat and shadows Steps from the ghettos And former stockyard gallows Because in our small shared studio space, It’s hard to imagine beyond immediate place, In this garden below. When your love surrounds me, it’s hard to miss The blue of day, The cry of rain, Whispering fields of grain. But in your presence, reminded of all, Gentle voices of the shore where gulls call, Serenity and the absence of pain. But, when I am alone, nothing seems real, The sky is bleached gray from blue, Smoky heat dries the dew, Night descends far too soon, The skyscrapers rise and swallow me in, I live in a rolling city of sin, I gaze up at streetlamps, searching for the moon.
08.09.09
Some Cool Writing Links
I’m always on the lookout for writing contests which often leads me to some really cool writing sites with writing advice and unique contests. I wanted to make a short list of some that sparked my interest:
http://weeklywritingassignment.com/ This blog has a new themed writing constest each week.
http://sixsentences.ning.com/ Can you write a creative blog post using only six sentences?
http://mercenarywriters.tumblr.com/ Bits of inspiration and contest announcements with side of dry humor.
http://ratsassreview.com/ Simple, straightforward literary journal with a great title.
08.07.09
John and Yoko, Age Twelve
A boy on a busyLincoln Park cornerBegs me to saveThe starving childrenOf Guatemala.He has fear in his eyesAnd his hands start to trembleWhen I ask him allThe tough questions on my mind.He pleads and I doubt himAs I watch America buzzAround this corner hiveConsuming, spending dollarsBut not on him and his children.Why do they have to pay himTo stand out here and beg?Why don't we just run to him likeChildren ourselves, clinging to his goodness?This is the part of me thatMy quarter-years have killed-Run away and save the children,Sing their songs and laugh with them,Learn all I can from them.The boy on the busyLincoln Park cornerDidn't make commission from meThough he was a child to be savedI walk in urban heat and shadowsAnd pass a couple that resemblesJohn and Yoko, age twelve andI know what they'd have done.I wonder how John Lennon grew into that,A symbol of peace so prominentThat no one would ever have to askWhat he would do -We used to wear bracelets to remind usTo ask, constantly, what Jesus would doBut, not John Lennon, that's easy -And maybe this is easy, tooMaybe they've always had an agreement,Or maybe we shouldn't always have to askWhat someone else would do.
