Poems Found by Poet Hound

https://sites.google.com/site/55rhpissue/the-note
It’s not a poem, it’s Dale’s editor’s note for the issue about music and you should read it. I work with people who are aging and his note talks about musicians who are living longer than most people think musicians would. I think all artists should strive for longevity, don’t you?

https://sites.google.com/site/55rhpissue/trina-gaynon
“Yoshi” by Trina Gaynon

https://sites.google.com/site/55rhpissue/david-tomaloff
“Photographs of Wounded Statues” by David Tomaloff

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Laura Madeline Wiseman Site

I read a great interview on here and there are lots of wonderful inspiring things to read and look at so check it out at:
http://www.lauramadelinewiseman.com/

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Poems Found by Poet Hound

http://www.smartishpace.com/issues/issue_18/the_ohio_poem/
The Ohio Poem by Amy Pickworth

http://wickedalicezine.tumblr.com/
Was Becomes by Sally Molini

http://www.lightedplace.com/bud.html
Bud by Sarah Sloat

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Still Life Is A Human by CEE

Still Life Is A Human by CEE is published by Alternating Current’s Propaganda Press as of 2012 and is a collection of photographs by Mrs. CEE paired with poems by CEE inspired by those photographs. It is visually satisfying and entertaining to read. Below I am happy to share a couple of samples (sans the photographs, you’ll have to purchase the collection yourself to see them):

Caricature of a Wedding
(The Vermin Lord and the Bridegroom)

Let’s be honest
Young divorces are caused, principally
By lack of money
That’s when Your She
Became The Great Horned Rat,
The demonthing, cantreallytalkchick in Beloved
Keep it comin’, schmedrick,
Whether or not you pay the bills
Firehose of lavish waste out into the street

…and, any familial assistance?
She wielded that money,
Wielded it back into that street
Like a bad hammer throw

You two’re a Tears For Fears song, buddy
Indecision
Married with a lack of
Bride
She isn’t
She’s a Vermin Lord
The great, horned recipient of your
Great horniness

This poem makes me grin, I get the impression the writer is not impressed with a friend’s choice of bride. It also reminds of some relationships I’ve seen and known are doomed but no one has the heart to tell “the happy couple.” This poem says it all in regards to a doomed marriage.


Milton
(Writer BFF’s)

A counselor is Not your friend
Once they would be, their advice would be
(Fisheye) “Ohhhh…!!”, dismissed
A banking associate is Not a potential date
Your MONEY is in that bank, Mr. Juan!!
A plumber Isn’t going to come hang, and
Watch the fights w/ you
There’s such a thing as a “working relationship”
It has smiles
It has niceties
So, so, you know,
Like the ever-popping person on SpaceFace who
REAAALLLLY NEEEDZZ YOOOUU!!!,
You Don’t wanta Chatty Cathy correspond
With a faceless other nice enough
To print your coffeestained, diseased haiku,
It leads to “knowing” them, that
Space-Face kinda “knowing”
And, yes, agreed, it’s a new day and all
But, read your Jung, Adler, and
Accept being a writer in an eternal
Year of the Rooster
Ya have tuh scratch for it, fallen angel
Better slips in HELL…!,
Than friends in Heaven!

This poem makes me wonder if the poet isn’t just inspired by the bust of Milton but perhaps by a friend who tends to be rather clueless and annoying. At least, that’s what I envision. A guy who doesn’t understand that his therapist is friendly because she is being paid to listen to his woes, who doesn’t understand that a plumber is there only to do the job that involves plumbing and cannot legally hang out on the couch afterwards when the guy is lonely, that kind of guy. Most of us have met if not personally known a person who tends to be rather clueless about the basics of life and I’ve always found such a person annoying. This poem made me smile and nod, especially the references to “SpaceFace” that thinly veiled reference to MySpace and Facebook where people trumpet personal things, inappropriate things, and try to “friend” people for no apparent reason other than to add to their number of “friends.” This poem gets me off onto my own tangents as you may have noticed so it is a poem that I enjoy because it gets me thinking on a broader perspective.


If you enjoyed this short sample review, you may purchase a copy of Still Life Is A Human by CEE for a mere $4.98 at:
http://alt-current.com/pp/pp_item.html#still_life_is_a_human

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Smartish Pace Site

If you haven’t stumbled onto this already then definitely check it out for all things poetry interviews, readings, articles and all sorts of poetry fabulousness at:

http://www.smartishpace.com/

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Menacing Hedge Open Submissions

I urge you to check out the website and find out what they like to publish. You may submit up to six poems on-line, include your bio and contact information and submit your poems as one attachment. Response time varies, please go to:
http://menacinghedge.com/summer2012/submit.php

Check out the on-line journal at:
http://menacinghedge.com/summer2012/index.php

Good luck to all who submit, please drop by again next week…

Poems Found by Poet Hound

http://theshop.free-jazz.net/albert-huffstickler-reads-vox-audio/shop/audio-poetry/
Albert Huffstickler’s “On the Road”

http://www.zygoteinmycoffee.com/100s/issue138sandcastle.html
Tony Pena’s “Sandcastle”

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Frances Livings' During The Hours

This collection is actually on CD and set to wonderful jazz music. Three poems: Songs of the Soul, The Maliciousness of Words, and During the Hours are featured here. I will tell you that this CD was sent to me at just the right time as I was driving to a conference two hours away and I kept getting lost every single morning trying to find the hotel in downtown Jacksonville, FL. I played the CD when I was at my most frantic and it was soothing and beautiful. Frances Livings has a beautiful voice and the jazz accompaniment pairs perfectly with her words. Zane Musa on saxophone, Brandon Coleman on piano, and Paul Cartwright on violin join Ms. Livings in creating a beautiful CD that I would urge anyone to purchase.
Her poems can be seen in their entirety on her website and you can also take a listen for yourself with links there to her work with live music.

Songs of the Soul is complex and lovely, I’ll admit that so many images came to mind listening to it that I have a difficult time explaining what the poem is about. It could be about lovers, musicians striving for depth, it could be about being in the spotlight, as I said, so many images you should listen for yourself.

The Maliciousness of Words is exactly that, how words have power over us and in what ways. This one has sections that made me grin, especially the line “super model boring.”

During the Hours is romantic, about two lovers and their hours together, gentle, soothing, beautiful.

If you enjoyed this review, please view and listen to her work by going to:
http://www.franceslivings.com/poetry/

To purchase the CD for yourself for a mere $3.00 of During the Hours go to:
http://franceslivings.bandcamp.com/album/during-the-hours

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Miriam’s Well: Poetry, Land Art, and Beyond

The title says it all! There are posts about poets and poems, inspirations from teaching college class, and check out the red thread journal dress pictured on the site at:
http://miriamswell.wordpress.com/

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Prick of the Spindle Open Submissions

There is a small reading fee of $2.00 to submit up to five poems on-line (any length) so definitely read the on-line journal to get a feel for what is published before deciding which of your poems to send. Many poets I admire have been published by them so I believe it to be a sound and worthy journal to submit to. For more details go to:
http://posprint.submittable.com/submit

To check out the on-line journal full of poems, book and art reviews, short films, go to:
http://www.prickofthespindle.com/

Good luck to all who submit, please drop in again next week…

Poems Found by Poet Hound

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/244218
“Unemployment” by Mark Levine

http://www.alicebluereview.org/main.html
“Tenebrae” by Colleen Coyne

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Tales of Fantasy and Reality by Chinwe D. John

Chinwe D. John’s collection of poetic tales of love and loss is titled Tales of Fantasy and Reality and she includes the tales of her travels from all over the world to create these fascinating poems. Published by CreateSpace in 2012 I am happy to share a sample below:

Hand-Festa

He looks up the jagged hills to see
The castle hidden behind the trees
Medieval walls gleaming in the sun,
Within its fortress, a jewel to be won.

He fears neither the moat nor barricades,
For victory belongs to the bold and brave.
With sword in hand, he scales the gates,
Hungry to grasp the treasure that awaits.

She has sat by the window forever
Waiting an eternity for a hero to save her.
Vacant sockets sunken into an absent face,
A golden scepter is clasped in a bony embrace.

Threads of tangled lace and spider webs
Form a shroud from crown to legs.
On her finger sits a diamond ring,
The finest stone that wealth could bring.

He bursts triumphantly into the ancient halls
Marveling that the legend was true after all.
Swiftly he takes hold of her skeletal hand;
Deftly he tries to remove the dazzling band.

Suddenly, a vise grip seizes his eager wrist.
He lets out a howl of dread and tries to resist.
She will not resign; her faith has kept her alive—
A corpse, waiting for love until the end of time.

This poem reminds me of Sleeping Beauty only she wakes up and lives long past her time out of sheer determination. Imagine the treasure hunter following up on the tale only to find the princess rotting away, stubborn and determined and alive. I like this twist on the typical Fairy Tale. *In the back of the book are notes, “Hand-Festa” is an old Norse word meaning “to strike a bargain by joining the hands,” and is likely the origin of the word “handfasting” in which the bride and groom’s right hands would be tied together during medieval weddings. Interesting, yes?


Hunter’s Foil

Through the forest’s strong walls he pushed,
Bow in hand and threading with a light foot.
Stooping down, he aimed his arrow low,
Striking one of two antelopes as they roamed.

Resting under an Iroko tree on his return home,
He sipped palm wine and sang an old hunting poem.
The leaves rustled, and he saw a figure approaching.
She moved with a grace that was stately and becoming.

At first he asked no questions, and she gave no answers.
From that night on, she would become his steady partner.
In time, he wished to know the secret that she kept.
Relenting one day, she asked that he follow where she led.

As they made their way, she sang of love lost and found,
Of vengeance and fidelity—both to which she was bound.
They were well into the forest when she slipped from his side.
He, on realizing, turned around to face a pair of haunting eyes.

In this poem, the hunter is lured into the darkness by the spirit of one who he has hunted. I like this twist, too. If he had never asked about the secret, I wonder if he would ever have been led into the darkness?



An Artist Remarks

Who sits at my grave and weeps?
Whose salty tears disturb my sleep?

These loud laments that fill the air
Come when I no longer care.

Save those black designer clothes;
There’ll be other times to primp and pose.

Turn away your mournful, pensive face,
Lest I should awake and return your gaze.

Where was all this love when I had need?
You mourn for yourselves and not for me.

The press now hails my work as genius.
My face has found its way onto t-shirts.

My sales have soared to an all-time high;
I hear that happens after one dies.

Hollywood is frantically casting for my likeness
Anyone who exhibits box-office prowess.

How good to be free from the gimmicks and games.
Pack up the band and kindly go away.

I really like this poem. What artist doesn’t secretly fear exactly the above scenario? You work and create and strive for recognition and while you’re alive you do not see the respect or interest you want for your work and then… When you die, there is the sudden interest, the accolades, people parading around in finery acting as if they knew you and that you were important to them though they never gave you the time of day when alive. Again, I really like this poem.


If you enjoyed this sample of Tales of Fantasy and Reality, you may purchase a copy for $7.95 by going to:
http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Fantasy-Reality-Chinwe-John/dp/1470042525

You can also watch Chinwe D. John perform her tales to live music on YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/lyricalgroovemusic

You may also friend Chinwe D. John on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/LyricalGroove

Thanks always for reading, please drop in again tomorrow…

Bent Lily Site

Samantha Reynolds invites us to read one poem a day at her website and she has guest poets in which you can submit your own poems to be featured as well. A wide range of appealing poems for all kinds of people, parents, celebrity fans, those going through the effects of love and loss, it is all here at:
http://bentlily.com/

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Only Human by Definition by Jay Passer

Jay Passer’s collection of poems, Only Human by Definition, is published by Crisis Chronicles press in 2012. It is a stark collection of urbanized humanity in which Mr. Passer describes scenes involving dreams infected by corporate sponsors, blue collar men drinking beer at lunch, the untouchable and unreachable nature of outer space and its stars and constellations. It is dark and gritty and I am happy to share a few poems with you:

Amends

It didn’t work,
the perfectly imperfect sea-stones,
the dissonance of lilac,
the natural intention of yeast,
haiku written in the sand,
the fedora hats of old black-and-white footage,
the earth on a frayed rubber band course around the sun,
sheets of paper balled-up and tossed
through the smoke-filled air of the room
landing just short of the wastebasket.

forgive me.

This poem makes me think of a writer who tries to put into words all of the visions above and cannot make it work on paper, hence sheets of paper ball-up and tossed around the wastebasket. The apology could be directed at himself, or an editor, or a loved one who he is trying to express something to. Either way, I can picture Mr. Passer smoking a cigarette and the sun fading outside giving way to the “frayed rubber band course around the sun” reference and tossing wad after wad of words that did not quite fit. Of course, this poem could be about other things entirely but this is what I picture, how about you?



The Harvest

maybe since it’s getting cold out
the flies are flying around my wine glass
I spit blood since my diet’s so high in wine
the leaves rot on the sidewalk
and the buildings erode magnificently
as if the world were asleep
the flies are thirsty too
they circle the glass fearlessly
I drive my fist into the wall
I drink and drive and close my eyes
my diet high in iron
mosquitos high on my iron
trees sucking the life out of the streets
so we cut ‘em down
we pave the world since it’s cheaper that way
and we like things cheap
nothing has changed since the day I was born
the state of the world is a shit storm
as the new year approaches
I’m thrown out on my ear
to make room for
condominiums
it’s cold out ask the flies
they like to drink wine and fly around and drown
I ask myself
maybe it’s the cold or
maybe it’s a world soon without horses

This poem reaps the opposite of harvest in the traditional sense. Instead of mining crops and goods out of the earth the poet paints the picture of paving the world in concrete. While the poet steeps himself in a diet full of iron ( earthly metal) the world outside also pushes him aside for more metals and materials (composite materials for condominiums). I like the flies buzzing around the chaos, along with the mosquitos, the pests that never go away whether the world is made of dirt and growing things or composite materials that deaden things. I’d like to know Mr. Passer’s inspiration for this poem. I like the ending, too, the world soon without horses puts in mind, to me, the vision of cowboys in the spreading land of the west being slowly paved over, pushing horses and men connected with nature aside.


If you enjoyed this sample, you may purchase a copy of Only Human by Definition by Jay Passer for $5.00 by going to:
http://press.crisischronicles.com/2012/02/11/only-human-by-definition---by-jay-passer-cc18.aspx

Thanks always for reading, please drop in again next week (I took a vacation over my weekend and will have more posts up next week)…

Hill's Chronicle Blog

For poetry reviews, pictures of poets at book readings, and all wonderful things poetry, see Greg’s blog at:

http://hills-chronicle.blogspot.com/

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