Followers

Thursday, April 29, 2004

Two Heads Testifying

They met with the panel, these high-ranking men.
Bush the President and Cheney, with the smirk of a grin.
They haggled for months about this event.
Finally to a meeting they would consent.
We’ll come they said but only both at once.
I guess two heads are better than a dunce.
We aren’t under oath; there’ll be no recorders
We are the President and those are the orders!

Thursday News & Poetry Bits

Flying Saucer Fever Grips Iran - but no Cup sightings reported. Of course this leads me to the poem by Charles Bukowski - aliens

Bush and Cheney testify before the 9-11 panel today. Likely conclusion... Two heads are not necessarily better than one. Speaking of which here.

Wednesday, April 28, 2004

Surfing Blogs, I noted this - from Dean

Ode To Poets

Just a few Bits....

Yes, it is still poetry month, but...
Poetry In a Malicious Worm - Who would have thought?

Pitcher with touch of a poet Ok, I'm going to have to start reading both his stats and his work.

MIT Grad Finds Poetry in Mother's Schizophrenia

I found this interesting news bit: Nobel laureate warns on anti-Semitism This struck me as interesting at the same time I see reports AP reports: Police gunned down machete-wielding militants who stormed security outposts in Thailand's Muslim-dominated south Wednesday, killing at least 112 people in one of the bloodiest days in the Southeast Asian kingdom.

And the it also reports: It was one of the heaviest battles with the militia as U.S. troops try to increase the pressure on gunmen loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. There is a lot of hatred amassed around religious diversity these days. I realize there is a lot of religion that people cling to for purposes that don't seem to meet the fundamental principals of the religious core beliefs. There is such hate and misunderstanding that emanates from all this. **stepping off my soap box**

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

foam:e - first issue is posted

Check it out folks... here

Reading & Submissions Make for Busy Three days

Since Saturday, I've been a bit busy with poetry. Saturday I got two poems for the Missouri State Poetry Society Anthology. Sunday, there was the Northland Writers group meeting at Maple Woods College, I also successfully got off three poems for the Telling Tree Anthology. And then yesterday ( Monday ) there was a reading at the Writers Place.

I read four poems last night. Cerebral Cobwebs, To Emily and Her Friends, Outsiders and Train Ride. There was a good contingency from the Northland Writers - who have adoptied me since I don't live in the Northland but clear over on the edge of hell. Why they tolerate me I'm not sure. I think they don't get out much ** smile**

There were some very strong readings last night and some of us will do it again on Wednesday night at the Barnes & Nobel in Northland. The busy times have been great though. Hey, it keeps me out of trouble.

I even got home last night early enough to catch the last couple innings of w west cost game between my SF Giants and the Braves. The Giants have been hurting this season **sigh** but they pulled off a 3-2 win last night! Yeah!

Sunday, April 25, 2004

The Dover Test

Couple of days ago, my post here touched on this subject. I found the "Dover Test" to be something I recommend everyone read. It seems to address well a fundamental concept about war that President Bush fails to understand. It is about the clash between an informed public and a visceral desire to limit knowledge for fear of the consequences. It begs to ask the question, Who here really can't handle the truth?

Saturday, April 24, 2004

Saturday Night Notes

Just got home from a Percussion Explosion concert at my daughters High School. Talk about some high energy. It was a very enjoyable break from some writing I have been working on this evening. I'm back to do a post here and have my coffee cup ready to help me tackle more writing after this post.


Jilly has exciting news. Actually she's had a fair share of good things happening lately.


With that I'll share the following poem by W.H Auden

The More Loving One


Friday, April 23, 2004

Ted Hughes Collected Poems



Book Review
'Collected Poems': The full spectrum of Ted Hughes - By Sheila Farr

The Cost

From an earlier post last year I wrote...


Blinders
"What you don't see won't hurt you"
I've heard it said before,
And so they've added blinders.
What can the dead do anyway?

© 2003 Michael A. Wells



The following pictures have become available

Pictures Bush did not want you to see

Thursday, April 22, 2004

What is Left Behind?

"No Child Left Behind" is a wonderful slogan. As far as slogans go. The images it instills in the mind are positive ones. I think of a house on fire with a parent, neighbor or fireman rushing into a smoke filled room to save a child. Or parents going on a weekend get-away, but being thoughtful enough to think junior is just as deserving of a mini-vacation from the drudgery of the world as they are.

In education, which is where this phrase has been hitched to since President Bush declared this to be a goal of his administration, the concept is laudable. Beyond conceptualization, how is this country doing with respect to the president's goal? Michael Dobbs, a Washington Post Staff Writer has looked at this program and it's impact on education.

While the program has focused on achievement by students and creating a system of accountability within the education system itself, the impact is far reaching in some instances with respect to traditional curriculum. While the stated objective of every student in the country achieving proficiency in reading and math by 2014, it has impacted some schools by causing the elimination for instance of some arts, foreign language and physical education classes.

I recommend reading Michael Dobbs article on this subject.

In Volusia County Florida, the School Board is faced with the loss of $626,145 from their academic budget. See Linda Trimble's article from the Daytona Beach News- Journal about the impact of No Child Left Behind in this district.

Has the President adequately funded No Child Left Behind? See one view here.

This view, by Mary Cohen, U.S. Department of Educations - "American students probably won't reach 100 percent proficiency in core subjects by 2014 as required by the No Child Left Behind Act, but they'll be closer than if the law weren't in place." presented in this Kansas City Star article.

Are we simply leaving behind old ways? Are we better off by focusing on reading and math in early education? What is lost by discarding broader education curriculums and paring back to focus on an objective with a 10 year timeline. One that as Mary Cohen states we probably will not reach.

Wednesday, April 21, 2004

[untitled]

Gun on a plane
Hysteria in the clip
Gun on front page
Hysteria in ink
Blood blotted newsprint
Soaking into non-fiction pulp
A frenzy feeding hunger, contrary to
Sign at the airport- Please,
Do not feed the frenzy.
Starve it
Let the frenzy die of natural causes
Slow
Of complacency;
Don't upset the animals

Tuesday, April 20, 2004

Captive Tuesday Morning

Air thick with anticipation of more rain.
Morning offering little
In the way of welcome or hope.
Like a hold over from a rainy night
It just exists without permission,
Without apology and
Allows me no arbitration in the matter.

Monday, April 19, 2004

FYI

My Bloginality is ESFP!!!

Subliminals

You say... I think


  1. Virginia:: ham
  2. Soft:: ball
  3. Carol:: Channing
  4. Vanity:: Carol King
  5. Feminist:: Gloria
  6. Alias:: crook
  7. Coward:: Bush
  8. Beer:: Bud
  9. Chance:: drawing
  10. Honest:: Abe


Friday, April 16, 2004

To Emily and Her Friends

I'd like to be one
of your friends and maybe
from a distance I will.

You don't seem the "snob" poet type-
just a whole lot better than present company.
I can't really hold that against you.

But how did you do it?
bottled up inside so often
away; far far away
yet with such passion and flavor
did you spike the language that we taste,
savor
and still are clueless to your recipe.

You seemed to live life to the fullest
in such a solitude
yet you bore your soul open
like bare breasts for all to see
and they were different from the rest.

You spoke of death with the authority
of one who has been on that side
still your words live in the tender
and the most sensual sides of life.

I might just be your friend too;
from a distance.


Those Pesky News People

Take That! the Republicans said in reply....

What is the aversion the GOP has to constitutionally protected rights?

The Missouri House Republicans have become such an embarrassment to the people in this state.



Tuesday, April 13, 2004

More on Plath

"Damn, she could write." THOR KAH HOONG discusses his avoidance of Sylvia Plath's journals. His Master's project was Plath. He expresses gratitude that the journals had not been published at the time of his project or he would have been "paralysed (sic) with the effort of absorbing all the material in the journals and slotting them into my Grand Illusion."

Note: I am presently reading her Journals. Along with Letters Home, they make a most interesting compendiumm to her work.

Monday, April 12, 2004

Bonds Ties Willie Mays

660 - this is poetry.

Monday afternoon... count me among the living

Somewhere between the early morning of Saturday and mid-day, I became convinced that I was sick. Sinus drainage, horrible sore throat and congested chest. Followed by fever. I went down for the count Saturday and all day Easter Sunday as well. I am feeling better today, but I did take time off work to recuperate. I should be back tomorrow.

This put a end to most everything this weekend. Almost no reading. I didn't even feel like reading for pleasure. No writing. Mostly did medicine, fluids and sleeping. I truly hate being sick. Last year, I had a couple long bouts that I like to never got over. I'm hopeful this one is behind me.

Saturday, April 10, 2004

Saturday Segments

Check out A Poetry Free Presidency by Salon.com and the Poet Spy from the Baltimore Sun.

Aimee is talking Hot Seat

Cassie wears me out! Is the girl ever gonna settle down?

and last but not least, watch out for people stilling poems!

Friday, April 09, 2004

Reading Poetry - one poem at a time...

This month, I've tried mixing my reading of poetry a bit. In past, I've often picked out a poet I like or think I'm going to like and read a number of poem by that poet. I am trying to broaden my contact with individual poets as much as I am with the poems themselves. So far I think the experience has been rewarding. When I have a little more time this weekend I'll try and provide an example of some of the range I am talking about.

I am curious how may others have tried to incorporate something different than normal into their day as a result of poetry month. Is this just another of those specially designated months that means little to you and changes nothing?

Wednesday, April 07, 2004

Subliminals

  1. Condemn:: sentence
  2. Promiscuous:: active
  3. Pro-life:: voter
  4. Mona Lisa:: smiles
  5. Crown:: jewels
  6. Mumble:: under breath
  7. Hack:: chop
  8. Diet:: coke
  9. Introduction:: forward
  10. Latin America:: Latino


Baseball and Writing

Baseball and Writing by Marianne Moore

Monday, April 05, 2004

Sex With A Famous Poet

As part of my own advise to share poems you like with others, this Denise Duhamel poem I ran across a couple of weeks ago is one I like - thought others might enjoy it too!

Sex With A Famous Poet

Sunday, April 04, 2004

Robert Bly & Naomi Shihab Nye - Appearing together at reading

April 13th - in Austin, TX
Poetry reading of Rumi, with Naomi Shihab Nye.
Contact: Farid Mohammadi, poetry10@juno.com


Wow, I've had the pleasure of seeing them both separately. This should be delicious!

What Poetry Can Do For You

Diane Cameron from the Christian Science Monitor writes What Poetry Can Do For You

Thursday, April 01, 2004

National Poetry Month.... Things to do

Poetry Month (April) began in 1996. It is a way for us to being Poetry into focus.

The Academy of American Poets has an online almanac with 365 ideas and things to do related to poetry. Check out the Bob Minzesheimer piece from USA TODAY.

Poetry Almanac

Sick Poet urges you to embrace this month as a way to enrich your own life and that of others by sharing poetry with your friends.

1. recommend a good poetry book to a friend
2. share a favorite poem
3. send a poem you wrote to someone on a post card (even the postman will likely read it)
4. try writing in a different style than usual
5. write a poem in the persona of someone else - different gender, age, race, economic status
6. attend a local poetry reading - take a friend
7. if you can't find a local reading, invite some friends over and have a reading of your own.

these are just a few suggestions - i'm sure you may be able to come up with others