Today I was a featured reader at two separate poetry readings, with approximately 90 minutes in between. I am scheduled for another one on the 31st. Here is the short bio I am using for these events: Kevin J. O’Conner has not won any awards, earned an advanced degree, or been published in a bunch [...]
Tag: commentary
Something to keep in mind
In 1987, The Style Council released their third studio album, The Cost of Loving. The album’s fourth song, ‘Fairy Tales’, is sung using feminine pronouns—clearly referring to Margaret Thatcher, then Prime Minister of the UK—but the first verse of the lyrics is printed as follows: The giant towers over all But from close distance he don’t seem [...]
The real New World Order (a poem)
I am Jack’s weakened resolve Confronted with the world’s wickedness I am unable to respond with anything more than ambivalence while the pressure builds I use terms I don’t understand to ameliorate the crisis Fascists make their stances clear the joke doesn’t go over so well among the already skeptical But poll numbers trump logic [...]
You have the right [to refuse] to remain silent (a poem)
Bonus round for today—if you have the right to remain silent, you also have the right not to… Anything you say may very well result in your premature death As long as this is the case you may as well speak your mind LOUDLY while you have the chance Because you have the right [to refuse] [...]
What would Jesus do if he were in your shoes? (a poem)
Lots of fragments and random stuff last night… It takes a lot of work if you believe to make everyone else’s behavior your crusade to insist they live as you do for the sake of your holy book What if the tables were turned? (I know some already think they are) Perhaps you’d have a different [...]
#BlackFriday2014 (a poem)
As usual, news of Black Friday protests was hard to miss. It was also occasionally difficult to stomach. I They storm the entrance to shop for bargains They fight over TVs and Barbies and clothes The Walmart brawls are met with bemusement by cell phone cameras and smirking news anchors Because shopping is now a [...]
Election Day Redux: State of the Union
Re-posting this poem from April 2013 (but with the edits I later made for Journalism) for Election Day. The original post can be found here. With rodomontade nonpareil, the esteemed Senator Dunderhead clove to the bilious position he'd espoused during a particularly ego-fuelled rant in the aftermath of the latest crisis. That the elusive logic of his twice-baked [...]
National Poetry Writing Month: Day #20 (April 20, 2013)
Today's prompt: write a poem using at least five of the following words: owl generator abscond upwind squander clove miraculous dunderhead cyclops willowy mercurial seaweed gutter non-pareil artillery salt curl ego rodomontade elusive twice ghost cheese cowbird truffle svelte quahog bilious Thanks to comments recently made by one of our more (ahem!) colorful…elected officials, this was [...]
