A huge thanks to Moisés for giving me this amazing onionskin typewriter paper last year for my birthday…this was the first time I’ve used it. Love at first feel. The translucent, texturized, fragile essence made for a perfect poem this Valentine’s Day.
This poem is for Kelly. She had her artwork up in one of the galleries during last night’s art walk, and asked me to create a poem that might serve as a title for one of her pieces.
Here’s a poem written for Bill at Occupy LA. His request? To use the following line: “When was the last time you thought of me, unexpected as if in a dream”
Richard once commented that he was surprised most of my poems are fiction-based. Here is one that is about an actual experience.
Some performances were long. We raged past the show and burrowed furiously into the night. Other performances were lonely and quiet, intimate, with soft conversation and relaxed acceptance of letting the flow be. On the last night, our voices rose and fell in play with one another, harmonizing at their own accord to the perfect pitches, intervals, frequencies.
I remember feeling strange, to be in the town but not of the town. I came across Shaughnessy’s Our Andromeda while quietly stacking inventory for Princeton students in need of textbooks. She was a local poet, working with the Princeton MFA’s Emerging Writers series and teaching at Rutgers. Now, returning back to the east coast, to New Jersey, to Newark–it seemed like the perfect time to read Shaughnessy’s newest poetry book, So Much Synth, during the five hour flight from Los Angeles.
“Couple #1” is the first in a series of poems called “The Couple Series.” It was conceived when–following a breakup and other intense life stuff–I somewhat impulsively decided to fly to Hawaii and backpack through the islands.
Natalie, the woman who created the poetry prompt, asked for something focused on Japan, lost love, new love, and nostalgia–all tied in with blossoming sakura.
Tiffany was waiting patiently in the line that formed sometime before the sun went down. Her thick long hair and striking facial features stood out in my mind as I typed poems for others. When it was her turn, we smiled and immediately let down our guard.
Last week, I got a chance to meet up with Ashley (creator of The Little Black Coffee Cup). We only knew each other through Twitter, thanks to our mutual philosophy–“substance over stuff,” as she aptly says. We connected over delicious gourmet coffee, then explored the artsy streets of Culver City.
Packing my typewriter, collecting donations, and cleaning my bag out, I was spent for the evening and ready to go home. Then out of nowhere popped Jesse.
Here’s another poem for the Couples Series I’ve been collecting. This one came to me during my time in Hawaii, while I was walking around and enjoying the landscapes around me.
Now that I’m back home, I can upload the rest of the couples series I wrote for National Poetry Month. I’m not sure if I should continue taking pictures of the poems, or just scan them into the computer. Which image style do you think is best? Here’s an example of a scanned poem, and here’s an example of a photographed poem. Would love your opinions! Thanks 🙂
One of my favorite days of the year…and so close to my birthday! Which poem is in your pocket today? Feel free to snap a picture and share it.
