poems

“Why I love Ouija” and two other poems published in Midnight Lane Boutique

ouija-midnight-lane

One of my favorite online journals, Midnight Lane Boutique covers underground and outlaw poetry with great features and graphic style. So I’m pleased to report it has published three of my poems: “Why I Love Ouija,” “Buying a King for the Price of a Twin,” and “About Our Entering a No-Sex Era.” You can read them here.

A few notes on these. The Ouija poem is part of a series featuring a ouija board as a character. “Buying a King” takes a mattress ad and hopefully blows it up into something bigger. “No-Sex Era” was originally accepted by Verbal Abuse magazine back in the 90s, but the journal folded before it put out that issue. Kind of a bummer, as it was a pretty rad mag.

“In the Engine Room” and 6 vispo in Angry Old Man

aom2cover

The second issue of Angry Old Man was unleashed on the world last night. A massive issue of experimental works in many media, this one contains my text poem “In the Engine Room with Bettie & Andrea” and six video stills. You can check out the full poem here, and the vispo here.

engine-room-txt-AOM2

vispo-AOM2

“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.