:: Poetry ::

:: Saturday, September 21, 2002 ::

Quite a few changes really, so Josh you might comment again. Very strange things here for me.


Johnstown, After Class

In the afternoons, after talking commas
and the power of pause—the dash—its feint
and sleight of hand, I leave my dull classroom
and wander through the hallways looking in
as others struggle with understanding. Chalked
and chartered, divided and ruled, the words
litter the boards: scene, drama, image, verb.
These dull days after class, the air thick, stupid
with boredom, I go outside. The air clamors
for attention, licks and rubs at my feet.
The Johnstown mist—heavy, gray beautician—
spins my hair to curls every time it rains.
I go left, then right, then back through the door
until I’m again in the office, curly, damp
and tapping keys—finding ways to say
what doesn’t need to be said: I’m gray,
there is no drama. Verbs charge and swerve
through my hands—tadpole away until
all that’s left is to rain, hush, tire, and sleep.

:: Sean 9/21/2002 11:33:00 AM [+] ::
...

Johnstown, Afternoon

In the afternoons, after talking about commas
and the power of pause—the feint and sleight
of hand of the dash, I leave my dull classroom
and wander through the hallways looking in
as others struggle with understanding. Chalked
and chartered, divided and ruled, the words
litter the boards: scene, drama, image, verb.
Now outside, the air clamors for attention, licks
and rubs at my feet, spins the wheel which
kinks my hair into curls everytime it rains.
On dull days after class, the air thick, stupid
with boredom, I go left, then right, then back
through the door I just clicked closed until
finally I’m back in the office, tapping keys
and finding ways to say what doesn’t need
to be said: I’m gray, there is no drama, verbs
charge and swerve through my hands—tadpole
away until all that’s left is rain, hush, tire, sleep.
:: Sean 9/19/2002 02:41:00 PM [+] ::
...

Hey, I wanted you all to enjoy some of Chris Carpenter's crazyness if you haven't seen it. Read some of the reviews on divingbirds.com
It's some very funny, well-written stuff. Josh, Chris is a friend of all of ours but you, you loser.

man

anyway, poems?
:: Sean 9/19/2002 11:13:00 AM [+] ::
...

Boys, it's a new semester, leaves are turning already up here, and the sounds of cheerleaders can be heard from the high school across the road. This means time to crank up the Poetry Machine that is THIS. Exercises? Sonnets? Poems with dwarves in them?

Let me know if you're in. Yours, sbchapm@uark.edu

:: Sean 9/16/2002 11:43:00 AM [+] ::
...