Poetry

“Five Horsehairs and the Soul of an Afternoon” and two other poems published in Unlikely Stories

horsehairs-unlikely-stories

I’m very pleased to announce that online poetry journal Unlikely Stories published three of my poems today: “Five Horsehairs and the Soul of an Afternoon,” “Big American Horn,” and “Saving the Day.” You can read them here.

Each of these has a genesis in real life events from many years ago. “Horsehairs” describes an unsuccessful attempt to earn money by busquing at the metro station on Dupont Circle in DC. I convinced my friend David Craig it was a good idea, but we literally made $1.02. Another bandmate, Finn McCool, loaned me his bowed psaltry, as I figured an “exotic” looking instrument would net more money. Another theory shot down.

“Big American Horn” was written during my Henry Miller phase, when I was reading a lot of his work. Not just Tropics, but everything–over 20 books.

“Saving the Day” comes out of my experience as a stay at home dad. I was feeling pressures to find work, stay creative and not lose my mind. Basic self-pity stuff. But then I realized what was really important.

Seven forbidden words

I am vulnerable

I am entitlement

I am diversity

I am transgender

I was a fetus

I am evidence-based

I am science-based

 

You are vulnerable

You are entitlement

You are diversity

You are transgender

You were a fetus

You are evidence-based

You are science-based

 

We are vulnerable

We are entitlement

We are diversity

We are transgender

We were fetuses

We are evidence-based

We are science-based

 

Have you heard? President Ubu’s administration has prohibited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from using seven words and phrases in their 2018 budget requests.

The forbidden words are “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity,” “transgender,” “fetus,” “evidence-based” and “science-based.”

You can read the full story in The Washington Post here.

“Commercial I Wrote” published in Mad Swirl

madswirl-commercial

Today, online poetry blog Mad Swirl published my poem “Commercial I Wrote.” This one beats up on advertising. Commercial propaganda is always an easy target. You can check it out here.

Since this is the third poem they published from me, it looks like I earned my own author page on the site. The link above will get you there.

Poems in Indiana Voice Journal and Your One Phone Call

Indiana-voice-2-poems

atlantic sound-ivj

Two journals released some of my poems today. Indiana Voice Journal published “Atlantic Sound” and “Come Another Sun.” You can read them here.

Your One Phone Call published “Ouija on the Rag,” of of a growing series of pieces revolving around the character Ouija. You can read this one here.

phone call-ouija rag

“Swimmers on 20th Street” and 4 other poems in Empty Mirror

swimmers-empty mirror

Empty Mirror is a great online literary journal that features reviews and articles on Beat literature along with contemporary textual and visual poetry. Today, the magazine published five of my poems: “Swimmers on 20th Street,” “Travel to Cashback,” “Le Coup,” “Prisoners of More,” and “Soup de Jour (Election Year).” You can read them here.

A few notes on these. “Le Coup” is loosely based on the documentary film Man on Wire, about Philippe Petit’s successful covert operation to connect a tightrope wire between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and then walk across it. Although “Soup de Jour” was written years before the current president was even a candidate, it seemed pertinent enough that I posted it to the 100 Thousand Poets Resistance Poetry wall. On that blog, it was formatted without the spacing. This is its first public appearance with line indents as intended.