My Nudity in All its Forms

  Two years ago, I mistook the apple for a peach: Two cases of imported beers carried 6 flights Glasses instead of contacts because I can’t be bothered I make you climb 6 flights of stairs to drink imported beer I make you have me You have me You buy breakfast You say you had […]

The Clothesmaker

The Clothesmaker. The Boston Poetry Magazine published my poem ‘The Clothesmaker’! It can be read at the link above. Submitted to The Daily Prompt on Oct 4, 2013.

New Computer

Because this is the first poem I write on my new computer, I want it to be clean. It will go into a file where a new book of poems will gather over time. Poems that belong to another book will have another file. There will also be a file for poems that are nothing […]

Get the Rape Joke

The news always seems to find me last. This would even include poetry news, which is supposed to be my thing. So it is that today I finally heard of a poem, published by The Awl, that went viral on social media and prompted responses in outlets as varied as Feministe, Salon and The Guardian. The poem is […]

Babies on Planes

  When I am on a plane, and I hear a baby begin to cry, I think: cry, cry, cry.   Cry slower and louder. Cry longer.   Cry while your mother walks you around so that the entire plane can hear you cry.   Stop crying; whimper softly. Make us think you are done, […]

God or the assassin

Last night, I threw a friend a baby shower. In thanks she brought me the complete works of Colombian poet Maria Mercedez Carranza, the South American nation’s most well-known female poet. Carranza’s work is modern, powerful, succinct. The only thing that keeps me distant from her writing is the fact that she killed herself in […]

Chew You

  I’ve always loved left overs Cold, by the kitchen sink With dirty fingers and appalled mothers   These, though, I will eat alone Sitting up In bed   It was a good, unapologetic lay The day we tried To play for good   But, it was really only a day   One good day […]

Upside down crucifix

  An image I loved from The Split by Marie Howe. Published in her book The Good Thief. Part of The National Poetry Series. This one selected by Margaret Atwood. Read on American Airlines flight 915, July 2013  

Fiesta de oficina

  El discurso y su contradiscurso La fila corta para el plato fácil de servir La mesa del bar ojeada no visitada El jefe siempre en el periferio Las secretarias ignoradas   No sabía que un día encontraste A tu esposo muerto en el baño Me lo dijeron hoy antes que me contaras Que tus […]

There Will Be Time

Twenty-six is not that young: it is old enough to list college degrees, linear work experience, the promise of marriage. By now, I should not fear bad poem topics, closing documents unsaved, the rewrite of a phrase: Clay centers carved; cooked silhouettes cracked. I am on time and in time. Urgency grows, demands that I begin to make […]

Maya – who? Mayakovsky! Part III (Or heartbreak done right)

  Vladimir Mayakovsky gets dumped. The third of four excerpts from his poem The Cloud in Trousers. Read New York, 2004. Related articles Mayakovsky’s “The Brooklyn Bridge”: A Short Essay on the Futurist Poem (talesofrussia.wordpress.com) Mayakovsky’s daughter speaks out on her parents’ love story and her own legacy (rbth.ru)

Maya – who? Mayakovsky! Part II

  This is part two of four excerpts I will be posting from Vladimir Mayakovsky’s poem The Cloud in Trousers. Read New York, 2004

Maya – who? Mayakovsky! Part I

  There is fun to be had in Russian literature via Vladimir Mayakovsky. Here is one of four excerpts from his titanic poem The Cloud in Trousers. Read New York, 2004 Related articles Mayakovsky monument attracts dissidents and dreamers (indrus.in) A look back at the life of Vladimir Mayakovsky (indrus.in) Understanding Mayakovsky, the dark and […]

Bathroom Talk

  Watching you pee in front of me while we talk about not being late It’s true we shouldn’t be late to things I try to remember when we began peeing and talking In front of each other I wish I could remember I would tell you I wish I had to pee So that […]

Breakfast Meeting

  As an afterthought I can consider the present Skylines and curved highways Cliffhangings in real time and real   Realtime   Consumed while I am young I lack nothing and want Everything   I Alone I   Lonely please allow me to Please be Lonely   Let me see the city as collosal and […]

The Feeling of Being Hungover

Sometimes, I get so tired of poetry. It asks for so much– makes me feel hungover. Or if I am hungover– makes me feel dumb and slow. As if merging on the freeway– I am swallowed, trapped– though it was my decision to go. Written April 2013

Former Head of Security

  The Major did not chat but with a kiss on the cheek marked each daily encounter.   Surely, we wondered if his temper made us safer: motorcycles, rural landing strips, Putumayo.   Charged as guard of a Colombian Vice-President, a needless Doberman where a Labrador could have barked.   The Major spoke into his speech, […]

Poetry of the witch

From Ginosko Literary Journal’s 12th Edition. To read the complete poem, download the entire journal here. For other editions of Ginosko, click here.

The man who fathered e.e. cummings

To read e.e. cumming’s complete poem, please click here. The link will take you to Poets.org and their deliciously-fed poetry archives. Happy father’s day. Related articles may i feel said he by e.e. cummings (lunainthecity.wordpress.com) ’13′ by E.E. Cummings (thesewordsiwrite2012.wordpress.com) I Carry Your Heart With Me by E.E.Cummings – Poetry Reading (euzicasa.wordpress.com) Poetry Day: E.E. […]