A thought

"Poetry is man's rebellion against being what he is." ~James Branch Cabell

And what would that be, that man is, which causes such rebellious discourse? I agree with Cabell in principal that poetry wants to rebell. It wants desperately NOT to conform because that is too mundane. Is it that man has the capacity to always be unsettled no matter what his plight? The hungry want food, the King wants more territory.

Is poetry simply a more refined version of an animal instinct?

Angry Sky

Angry Sky
Originally uploaded by stickpoet.

I looked out last night and saw the sky as an angry poet swelling up with disdain.

untitled draft

Moist insignificance
Swells collecting droplets
Elongated by weight
To the breaking point
Raining upon the spirit
Quietly I withdraw
From the wetness
Wondering if this will shrink
My stature as a person

PEER PARTNERS

The Writers Place in Kansas City will host a series of writersÂ’ reception where writers can meet each other and identify writing support partners. I think this is amarvelouss idea. Evidently the concept was advanced by David & Judy Ray when they visited The Writers Place last month. The Rays are former Kansas Citians with longstanding ties to the Writers Place.

There is so much emphasiss upon mentoring these days and developing support communities in various fields. Writing among them. But there is little out there that provides a formal intro to such support. I am glad to see the Writers Place involved in this capacity. I plan to to attend.

For those in the Kansas City area that might want to get involved, the first meeting is SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 2005 at 2pm. The continuation of these receptions will depend on interest. Please call 816-753-1090 if you plan to attend and let them know.

And the pulse was weak...

Stale lines seem to be the order of the morning. Several ideas - execution that sucks. The good news is there is room for improvement. God, I'm becoming an optimist!

Damn It Anyhow

The dusty chalk board
has only white residue
of the words I want so badly.
They were, but are no longer.
Out of my reach.

Writers Place Open Mic

David A. Hughes was among the readers last night at the Writers Place open Mic. David read Fire Eaters and Stained Glass Women which is to be featured in Thorny Locust this year. David is also working on a chap book to be released soon.

I read two poems last night... The Dove and My Dachshund Trumps Your Honor Student.

There were 12 who turned out for the readings. The summer months have been tough on turnout.

Currently on the walls at The Writers Place are an exhibit titled Portraits and Poems: A Photographic Testimony. The photographs were taken by Dennis Lowden and accompanying the photos are poems written by Vietnamese poets. The photos and poems tell the story of lives in transition as tens of thousands of Vietnamese citizens pass through Wake Island processing center as they flea their homeland at the end of a tragic war.