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.

Meaningful Escapes Me

I'm hot - sweaty and nearly speechless. Just got off the tread mill - did 30 minutes and I had hoped to blog a bit about some thoughts on something I read earlier today but I haven't the capacity to pull my thoughts together in some meaningful fashion.

Still reading in the Sari Solden book on Adult ADD and trying to process a lot of that... but it was actually thoughts off some material I read by Amy Lowell that had me thinking and I wanted to discuss. I suppose it will have to wait till later.

I did write this weekend. Have a poem that I need to rewrite and maybe workshop with a couple of my writing friends. It is a little different. Doing stuff that is different or I suppose "experimental" always seems to be difficult to reach that level of gut feeling about on your own.

Anyway, it's 10pm and I'm calling it a night.

Boxed In Amy Gets Linked

Ah... see what you get for commenting on one of my posts! I'm adding Living Poetry to my sidebar links. Not because Amy commented, but because she commented and has an interesting blog herself. Check it out!

Last Monday she had a post about Knowing When It Works. Boy could I identify with that post having worked last night on something that seemed to be working and after I shut everything down and came up stairs looking at it again, reading it out loud, I thought not. Now it has some possibility but clearly needs to go through the rewrite process. Likely repeatedly. But it is interesting, the question Amy asks. How do you know when it is right? How does truth hit you? I can't say... but it is funny that we seem to come to realize it. More often than not. Thank God!

OPEN MIC MONDAY - WRITERS PLACE

The Writers Place in Kansas City will host the July Open Mic on Monday July 25th at 8pm.

Writers Place

is located at

3607 Pennsylvania

Kansas City, MO 64111

Local writers will find this venue a pleasing experience. Sometimes the crowd is large and other times it becomes a little more intimate. There is always some quality work presented and the readers vary from quite experienced to first timers. Even if you are not into reading, it is an excellent place because of the exposure to quality work and just to get to know more about the center. It provides a variety of other excellent activities from readings to workshops and exhibits.

The Stick Poet Superhero Coffee Mug

The Stick Poet Superhero Coffee Mug
Originally uploaded by stickpoet.

Have You had your morning coffee in your Stick Poet Superhero mug?