Carlos on Tavis

for Carlos (haiku)

black magic shaman
eighteen inches mind to heart
journey of the soul

Margaret Atwood

Since her book inspired the poem in my last post, I thought I'd feature some of her work directly. Here goes:

from Variation on the Word Sleep

I would like to be the air
that inhabits you for a moment
only. I would like to be that unnoticed
& that necessary.

Margaret Atwood (b. 1939)

"Variation on the Word Sleep" from Selected Poems II: 1976-1986 by Margaret Atwood, published by Houghton Mifflin. Copyright © 1987. Reprinted by permission of the author.

haiku

handmaidens

objectivity
treats spin as truth's rebuttal
...carborundorum

sweaty haiku

luz and papi, a
mid-morning stroll, maya slung
nap while i mop sweat

or

luz and papi stroll
maya slung mid-morning, shade
sweat like dew-moist leaves

Morsels

Courtesy of the U.S. State Department's america.gov site:
> the restored Lincoln Cottage, situated up the street from our home, is opening in February 2008. Years ago, I took an "1860 - 1960" tour of DC monuments led by Ed Smith of American University/the Smithsonian. At the Soldiers' Home, and Professor Smith told us how Lincoln's ideas on race were shaped by his discussions with Frederick Douglass at the Cottage. Basically, Douglass' rise from slavery to international abolitionist proved the lie of Black inferiority.

> Out of the mud blooms the lotus.

So there you have it: my hopeful nature shining through on a beautiful Saturday in January.

icy-hot

it was supposed to be a quick rub-down;
calves salved - not menthol fuming

your gas-taut lungs.
nor a fuming wife

sending me to shower and change
the sheets, lest we asphyxiate.

Good Morning, DC

walking through Petworth
Upset the Setup t-shirt
Fleet Feet sneaks; DC

Monday (haiku)

up the steps feet drag
wet sand in burlap over
concrete: back to work

MLK, Jr.

Quote (found poem)

Power without love
is
wreckless and abusive.

Love without power
is
sentimental and anemic...

Power at its best
is love
implementing
the demands of
justice.

And justice at its best
is love
correcting everything
that stands against
love.

Back in the Game?

Tonight I went to a nice little poetry reading.

That bears repeating.

Tonight I went to a nice little poetry reading.

A poet I heard about and want to read

Two weeks ago, my poetry workshop at All Souls Church ended. Chris Nealon, a professor at UC Berkeley, introduced us to a number of poets during the five-week course.

Here's one: Nathaniel Mackey.

Mackey recently won the National Book Award for Splay Anthem.