An ars poetica… Every poem disguises itself as a solution to a dilemma (or a dilemma in search of a solution) Every poem lifts fingerprints from the scene of the crime before the police arrive Every poem thinks too much and insists on spilling its guts— or says almost nothing and makes us guess the [...]
Tag: anaphora
Shapes (a poem)
I suppose it would be easier to say ‘don’t believe everything you see’, but that’s not much of a poem… Shapes form out of every moment Shapes contain the days we try to unfold Shapes build the world in which we live Shapes cage the lives we think we control Shapes distort the truth to [...]
misshapen faces (a poem)
I saw a photograph online earlier, and this came to mind… the face misshapen looks out of eyes that have seen more than the burden they came in with the face misshapen learns to live with being thought of as ‘interesting’ and ‘full of character’ the face misshapen has an affinity for Picasso because it [...]
4,779 miles (a poem)
A few thoughts on a rainy night… The last time I thought about you was the moment before I wrote this line Memory trumps distance The last time things felt like this it was almost your birthday, and I remembered Memory is a funny thing The last time we were together it was a rainy [...]
Restless shadows #2 (a poem)
I did not use anaphora in the first one, hence #2… The shadows are restless stirring up the dark corners of the room where only the ghosts can hear them The shadows are restless and there are no lights here to reveal the magnitude of their distress The shadows are restless bowing trees smack them [...]
Man on the street (a poem)
Something I saw while driving home from the post office earlier today… Arms held out—fists turned up he walks down the street barely acknowledging the cars speeding past Arms held out—fists turned up the grimace on his face suggests everything—but says nothing Arms held out—fists turned up neither posture is any defense against the cloudburst [...]
A few things I remember (a poem?)
I started this as part of an exercise at the workshop I went to a couple of weeks ago (the one that resulted in the pineapple poem). I don’t know that it qualifies as a poem anymore, but here it is… I remember the big store in Tucson where my parents bought me the pale [...]
The voice that goes on too long (a poem)
I hate it when open-mic participants have no regard for designated time limits… The voice that goes on too long loves only itself to the exclusion of all else The voice that goes on too long invites mockery and boredom— not necessarily in that order The voice that goes on too long dares the world [...]
I have no wish (a poem)
One of those days… I have no wish for words today I have no wish for thoughts that stand in my way I have no wish for what this seems to be I have no wish for fits of fractured fantasy I have no wish for the rain outside I have no wish for the [...]
My rituals (a poem)
On another day when I have not felt much like writing, I try to keep it simple… Every morning I wake myself out of intermittent sleep incoherent dreams attend to an impatient cat and drink coffee Every morning I get drowsy after coffee I drift back to sleep and dream incoherent stories in which TV [...]
